any updates on todays scrimmage?

[HerdBot]

I had to miss it. Anyone catch it and what were the highlights and observations?

[JustinTyem]

http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/46054/group/Sports/ Not much info, but its something.

[onbison09]

Yeah. http://europetour.about-alboe.de/srsly-you-guys.png We should have a live blog up or maybe even ustream.

[onbison09]

http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/46054/group/Sports/ Not much info, but its something.

Where's the video?

[DjKyRo]

We should have a live blog up or maybe even ustream.

Not going to happen, trust me. I'll have some updates a little later.

[onbison09]

Not going to happen, trust me. I'll have some updates a little later.

It was in jest. :hide:

[JustinTyem]

Where's the video?

MMMMM,i didnt get the video either,arrrrrrrrrgggg:banghead: :badpc:

[Ross]

Video is working for me. Marcus Williams had a couple nice highlights with a pick 6 where he just cut in front of a little hitch route and went to the house.

[ndsubison1]

defense looked good. at least in that video. mwill is gonna be a beast this season. i agree with kolpack, best cb in the mvfc

[onbison09]

Video is working for me. Marcus Williams had a couple nice highlights with a pick 6 where he just cut in front of a little hitch route and went to the house.

Anyone tried to watch it with a MAC? Edit: Here's another link in case it doesn't work for you http://www.wday.com/event/videos/vidid/24463/

[Bison"FANatic"]

Heagle had a nice sack and hits. I think it was Hushka who had a huge loud hit on the RB. The depth at Lb is very good for once. It definitely looks to me that our backup QB is a redshirt freshman. Williams looks great and his side is nothing to worry about for the forseeable future. Some center Qb exchange problems but nothing that wont be down pat by next fall.

[HerdBot]

http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/46054/group/Sports/ Not much info, but its something.

It was a good video blog for the casual fan. Tough to really pick up on much without being there. Sounds like its Jensen and Thornton battling it out. Jose threw a pick 6 to Marcus today. Probably doesnt help his chances. Brock and Eisley had good days. Sounds like the defense beat the offense without 2 starting linebackers. Doesn't mean much since the defense is typically way ahead of the offense at this point of the year. Its got to be a good thing for the offense to practice against a good defense although it didn't help them out much last year.

I don't think any of these practices tells the average Joe anything. Its all vanilla like an NFL preaseason game. Last year during the Spring came, Brock completed close to 70% of his passes. Then the season started and he was never close to 50%.. last Spring Veldman loomed like a beast with 4 catches, 130 yards, and 2 TDs and then was a back up and a non factor.

All we can look for is who dominates the line of scrimmage, who can tackle, and what a receiver does after the catch. If the defense is giving up long runs, th linebackers are probably missing gaps. The long run on offense was because of a missed tackle.

[bison boy]

I was there today , defense looked very good
Heagon , williams will be superstars
i thought both QB's jenson & thorton looked good threw some nice balls.
Even the second team Defense looked good carter , little john
can wait for the season , just stay healthy Boys

[KTF]

Not sure if both passes were by Esley Thorton in the video but the ball placement was correct for the reciever to catch, run and use his body to sheidl the catch from the defender. Seems like last year this was an issue. I also like the pocket presence.

Maybe the WR's are making the QB's look good?

[MinotBison]

If Jose were to be #3 on the depth chart, might a position switch be in the cards for him, or does anyone think he might transfer?

[344Johnson]

Not sure if both passes were by Esley Thorton in the video but the ball placement was correct for the reciever to catch, run and use his body to sheidl the catch from the defender. Seems like last year this was an issue. I also like the pocket presence.

Maybe the WR's are making the QB's look good?

Well I can care less if the receivers make the qb's look good or vice versa. Either way, we win!

[stevdock]

Not sure if both passes were by Esley Thorton in the video but the ball placement was correct for the reciever to catch, run and use his body to sheidl the catch from the defender. Seems like last year this was an issue. I also like the pocket presence.

Maybe the WR's are making the QB's look good?

You are right this was a huge issue, not just last year but the last few years. Even during Heck's senior season there was no one else to throw to. More talent at the WR position is also going to open up the playbook. I honestly think that Vigen had his hands tied with the playbook due to lack of WR's, kind of like when we only had one QB and Mertens then couldn't run the ball.

I am starting to think though that if our offense can have success against our defense that will be a huge key to the upcoming season. If our defense stays healthy I expect alot of teams to struggle scoring against us, especially if we can shore up the interior d-line. So if our offense scores against our defense, then the offense should be able to put up points against other teams.

[perthbison]

If Jose were to be #3 on the depth chart, might a position switch be in the cards for him, or does anyone think he might transfer?

I honestly don't know what position he could switch to.

[onbison09]

I honestly don't know what position he could switch to.

Based on past history he could get playing time :hide:

[BisoninNWMN]

If Jose were to be #3 on the depth chart, might a position switch be in the cards for him, or does anyone think he might transfer?

With his small size, where would he play?

Doubt that he moves up above the #3 QB on the depth chart.

[ndsubison1]

I honestly don't know what position he could switch to.

maybe holder?

[KTF]

With Wentzel and the AZ kid coming, Mohler has pretty much played his last game in my mind. I just don't see him working into the rotation. Maybe DB but that is much a lock there for starters...

[DjKyRo]

With Wentzel and the AZ kid coming, Mohler has pretty much played his last game in my mind. I just don't see him working into the rotation. Maybe DB but that is much a lock there for starters...

I think he'll stay at the position due to his experience, particularly when there's not much of that to go around at the QB spot. Don't know if he'll see the field barring an epic meltdown or injury to Thorton or Jensen.

[Herd]

I don't think the gap between Jensen, Thorton, Mohler and the incoming freshman will be big enough to pull the redshirts on Wentz and Stanford. Spring ball is the reason. Therefore I think that Jensen, Thornton and Mohler will have the job in 2011.

In a given year, two guys will play, and three could play. There will be minutes for two guys, and possibily all three if injuries hit. If Mohler is 3rd on the depth chart, he has shown to be a positive influence on the bench, not a detriment.

[perthbison]

maybe holder?

Or nose tackle.

[HerdBot]

With Wentzel and the AZ kid coming, Mohler has pretty much played his last game in my mind. I just don't see him working into the rotation. Maybe DB but that is much a lock there for starters...

First off Eisley hasn't proven anything yet. Even if he's as good as advertised, were only an injury away from needing a solid backup. You can never have too many good QBs. I would have liked our chances of beating Missouri State last year had we had an experienced 3rd string QB, as opposed to a guy who had never thrown a regular season pass. This will help our team dramatically since Brock and Eisley both are the types who will run the ball and get hurt. That opens up the playbook.

Jose will be a security blanket that will allow Wentz and Stafford learn the offense at an advanced level before they legitimately compete next year. They will be better with more time to learn a sophisticated offense .Who knows? 2 years from now anything can happen. A guy could get kicked off the team, get suspended, flake out, or get hurt.

He may end up being in a similar situation as Perez is in this year. That's OK. There is no shame being a backup on a Championship caliber D1 team. I like Jose. He was our QB for wins at Kansas, Montana State, and showed some magic against Youngstown. That performance saved our season. The guy gets a free college education so its not like he's getting nothing. He has a great attitude.

2011 - Brock(so), Eisley(fr), Jose (jr) (both the new guys redshirt)
2012 - Brock (jr), Eisley (so), Jose (sr) (Wentz/Stanford redshirt freshman)
2013 - Brock (sr), Eisley (jr), and either Wentz or Stanford (so) with scout team experience
2014 - Eisley (sr), Wentz (jr), Stanford (jr)
2015 - Wentz (sr) Stanford (sr)

[MinotBison]

First, it's Esley not Eisley. Second, watched the evening sports up here, and they had a clip about Bison spring ball. They used some of the footage seen in the video clip at the beginning of this thread. Nice to see the coverage.

[sambini]

Esley throws a nice ball.

[56BISON73]

http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/46054/group/Sports/ Not much info, but its something.

Nice update. That Hudson run was pretty good.

[DjKyRo]

First off Eisley hasn't proven anything yet. Even if he's as good as advertised, were only an injury away from needing a solid backup. You can never have too many good QBs. I would have liked our chances of beating Missouri State last year had we had an experienced 3rd string QB, as opposed to a guy who had never thrown a regular season pass. This will help our team dramatically since Brock and Eisley both are the types who will run the ball and get hurt. That opens up the playbook.

Jose will be a security blanket that will allow Wentz and Stafford learn the offense at an advanced level before they legitimately compete next year. They will be better with more time to learn a sophisticated offense .Who knows? 2 years from now anything can happen. A guy could get kicked off the team, get suspended, flake out, or get hurt.

He may end up being in a similar situation as Perez is in this year. That's OK. There is no shame being a backup on a Championship caliber D1 team. I like Jose. He was our QB for wins at Kansas, Montana State, and showed some magic against Youngstown. That performance saved our season. The guy gets a free college education so its not like he's getting nothing. He has a great attitude.

2011 - Brock(so), Eisley(fr), Jose (jr) (both the new guys redshirt)
2012 - Brock (jr), Eisley (so), Jose (sr) (Wentz/Stanford redshirt freshman)
2013 - Brock (sr), Eisley (jr), and either Wentz or Stanford (so) with scout team experience
2014 - Eisley (sr), Wentz (jr), Stanford (jr)
2015 - Wentz (sr) Stanford (sr)

You've only got half our QBs names right. Esley Thorton, Ryan Stanford. Mostly agree, otherwise.

[HerdBot]

You've only got half our QBs names right. Esley Thorton, Ryan Stanford. Mostly agree, otherwise.

Typing on a cell phones a hitch. Auto complete!

[4mcruenomore]

Lots of Thorton skeptics, I'd bet its because I'm a fan of him. Truth is, look at Jensen last year, rewatch some games, look at stats. He needs to improve, he sucked

[HerdBot]

Lots of Thorton skeptics, I'd bet its because I'm a fan of him. Truth is, look at Jensen last year, rewatch some games, look at stats. He needs to improve, he sucked

Probably harsh words. He was a freshman on a team that wasnt an offensive juggernaut no matter who was in at QB. Don't forget that. He now has playoff experience under his belt, a better line, more weapons, and film to evaluate. Esley has some skills but he has never thrown a pass against real D1 competition much less the Gophers, UNI, SDSU, or any of the teams in our great conference. I hope he's good but besides a few soundbites from Vigen and other supporters I haven't seen him.

[4mcruenomore]

Exactly, just proved my point

[EndZoneQB]

I honestly don't know what position he could switch to.

He had partial offers from Arkansas for slot....

[DjKyRo]

Lots of Thorton skeptics, I'd bet its because I'm a fan of him. Truth is, look at Jensen last year, rewatch some games, look at stats. He needs to improve, he sucked

Skeptics? He hasn't looked better than Jensen on the practice field, do you want everyone to bank on faith? No doubt Jensen wasn't spectacular last season but he's got a year's worth of experience more than Esley does right now.

Something tells me someone's had a few beers before posting...

[Mr. Burgundy]

He had partial offers from Arkansas for slot....

Arkansas offers partials now for football? Interesting.

[Mr. Burgundy]

Lots of Thorton skeptics, I'd bet its because I'm a fan of him. Truth is, look at Jensen last year, rewatch some games, look at stats. He needs to improve, he sucked

I hesitate to even post this, as I don't want to get into a snowball fight with you, but I absolutely hate your posts. You are a fan of certain players and not the BISON. The BISON are a team. Picking certain favorites and ripping on others is pathetic in my opinion. People tell me you are a great fan and a good guy in person, well....your one sided ND opinions on this board get old. Jensen himself would tell you he would want to improve, and he has. He was a Freshman that damn near had us in the semifinals. What freshman is perfect? Whatever QB takes the snaps this year will be a BISON, and I hope he does a great job. Good luck to Brock and Esley. They both looked solid at the scrimmage. Flame on....

[NorthernBison]

I hesitate to even post this, as I don't want to get into a snowball fight with you, but I absolutely hate your posts. You are a fan of certain players and not the BISON. The BISON are a team. Picking certain favorites and ripping on others is pathetic in my opinion. People tell me you are a great fan and a good guy in person, well....your one sided ND opinions on this board get old. Jensen himself would tell you he would want to improve, and he has. He was a Freshman that damn near had us in the semifinals. What freshman is perfect? Whatever QB takes the snaps this year will be a BISON, and I hope he does a great job. Good luck to Brock and Esley. They both looked solid at the scrimmage. Flame on....

^^^^^^^^^This ++++++++++++

[EndZoneQB]

Arkansas offers partials now for football? Interesting.

Heard it straight from the source.

[fbmind]

Alright, I will try to give a somewhat more thorough update on my thoughts from the first scrimmage.

I watched from the sidelines, so it's hard for me to say much about the play of the offensive and defensive linemen since I did not have a great angle for it. However, the one thing that was noticeable is that the Bison are stacked at the Defensive End position. The Bison are 5 deep at that spot with Boyer, S.S., Hagen, Jirik and Emanuel. All of them can really get after the QB. Teams that get into 2nd, 3rd and long against this team are going to be in trouble.

Now, a little bit more about the other spots.

1. Quarterback- In the paper today, Bohl talked about a 3 man race for the spot. He is only being PC. This is a battle between Jensen and Thorton. Mohler did not look good at all yesterday. As usual, the only time he could make anything happen was when he got outside the pocket. When he stayed inside, literally nothing good happened.

I agree that both Jensen and Thorton looked solid yesterday. Also a couple more in-depth observations from their play...

- Thorton does a really nice job of not only completing passes, but putting the ball where it's suppose to be so that the receiver can do something with it after he catches the ball. This is something that was missing last year. To Jensen's credit, he was better at this yesterday as well than last season.

- I was also encouraged on a couple of the passes that were not completed yesterday. On the opening drive, the Jensen led the offense down to the 15. From there, he attempted a fade pass to Vraa that was incomplete. However, the good thing was that Jensen threw the pass correctly. He put good loft under it and put it in the back corner of the endzone to the outside shoulder of the receiver, where only he could make a play...exactly like it is suppose to be thrown. The ball was overthrown, but that is a timing pattern that those two will get better at with time. It's encouraging to see the ball thrown correctly.

On the next drive...Thorton led the offense into the redzone again. There he threw a corner route to Ryan Smith who made a beautiful catch but was out of bounds. Once again, the ball was thrown correctly where only the receiver could make a play on it. Again with time, that timing will develop better and during the season be a TD.

2. Running Back- McNorton saw limited snaps, so we got a chance to see the backups. Ojuri definitely is bigger and I thought his play was ok. The Bison run a downhill, hard-nosed running attack. And just like DJ his first couple years, I'm not sure Ojuri quite understands yet just how hard he needs to run. Still needs to learn to hit the hole harder and deliver blows to the defenders. Just like with DJ, I think this will come with time.

Hudson is smaller than Ojuri and needs to work on the same stuff. Nice TD run even though it was a bit of a fluke.

I thought the most impressive backup yesterday was Lang. His running style is a perfect fit for this system. Everytime he touched the ball, positive things happened. I know he's not as flashy or as big of a homerun hitter as Ojuri, but Lang will definitely help this team next year.

3. Wide Receiver- The star of yesterday was Gebhart. There is no question that he is already better than any of the guys that lined up opposite of Holloway last season...which is a very encouraging sign for this group. He reminds me very much of Heckendorf in the respect that he runs very good routes and has deceptive speed. I think he could be a 30+ catch receiver next season.

Vraa did not do a lot yesterday, but did have some balls thrown his way. As has been stated before, he is not a burner by any means. However, he's a guy that will give this team another dimension...fades to the back corner, jump balls between him and an undersized corner and a physical presence on the short routes. It make take some time for him to gain the trust of the QBs because he is not going to create tons of separation. The QB will just have to throw it and trust that Vraa will use his body and size to make the play.

As stated earlier, Smith made a beautiful catch in the endzone but was out of bounds. Also, Jensen short hopped him when he was open on about a 10-15 yard out. For a guy playing WR for the first time, he looks solid and I think will definitely be able to contribute from the slot in the 3 receiver sets.

4. Linebacker- This is a very deep position for this team. A lot of the young guys got a chance to play because of the injuries to Evans and Jemison and they were all around the ball. Hushka, Carter, Littlejohn and Beck were all making plays.

5. Cornerback- Marcus Williams is awesome...period. He will absolutely lock down one side of the field. Pierre looked solid as well. I thought the backups were ok. Dudzik was in position all day and made a couple of plays. You can tell that Boyd just started this semester. Does not look completely comfortable yet. However, I think he will be able to help this team. He is big and he can run. Kolpack mentioned that at Science he played man coverage and I could see yesterday that he was a lot more comfortable in those situations. However, still needs to be more physical with the receivers off the line. In zone situations can tell that he is doing lot of thinking. With patience, it will come around. The good thing is he never got burned or was completely out of position which is a positive step for a new guy.

6. Safety- Bison are very solid at this position with Eaves, Heagle, Pike and A.J. V. Heagle had a couple of big hits, just like we saw last year.

[Kermit]

Alright, I will try to give a somewhat more thorough update on my thoughts from the first scrimmage.


That was a really, really solid post! Lots of accurate information and good insights. Thanks for posting and I'd love to see more like that any time!

[roper1313]

Heard it straight from the source.

I may have this all wrong, but I thought BCS schools could only offer full scholarships in football. I thought I heard this when comparing FCS team's to BCS teams.

[bisonfan08]

Alright, I will try to give a somewhat more thorough update on my thoughts from the first scrimmage.


Great post! Thanks for all the info. There's no doubt that Heagle is my favorite player on this team. If he can get to be a little bit better in coverage this guy is going to be a superstar. As is MWill no doubt it's nice to see some quality guys in the defensive backfield again, big fan of these guys.

[DjKyRo]

Wrote up some thoughts on the BSB, mostly the same as what fbmind is talking about.

http://ndsubisonsports.areavoices.com/

[Kermit]

One of the biggest problems with our passing game the past couple of years has been the inability of our receivers to get open. Trevor Gebhart showed yesterday that he can get some separation AND catch the ball. He was VERY impressive and at this point I would be stunned if he is not a starter in the fall.

Redshirt freshmen Travis Beck and Carlton Littlejohn have been alternating at OLB in the absence of Brandon Jemison. Both have looked good, but my eye is always drawn to Littlejohn. He hits like a truck and has one of the most impressive looking necks I've seen in awhile. LOL! I agree with everyone that the defense looks very, very good.

Billy Turner looked rock solid at LT. He is going to be a great one. I think we have 3 standouts on the O-line in Cornick, Richard, and Turner. Improvement is still needed at the other two spots.

[THEsocalledfan]

Thorton does a really nice job of not only completing passes, but putting the ball where it's suppose to be so that the receiver can do something with it after he catches the ball. This is something that was missing last year. To Jensen's credit, he was better at this yesterday as well than last season.

First off, great post.

Now, I have been a big Jensen fan and agree with others thoughts about him being a freshman so you have to excuse a the growing pains. But this above issue is the key for him; if he can't do this, he will likely eventually lose his job to Thorton if he can. This is supposedly the West Coast offense where Jerry Rice used to cath the ball while running and do something with it. (Or see the old highlight tapes of the Favre/Packer 90's glory years.) You have to hit people in stride in the right spot.

With that said, Jensen actually knows what it is like on the field where Thorton does not. One thing that Jensen did SO WELL all of last year was throwing the ball away when it was not there; that is something even the best often struggle with (see Brett Favre). So, I don't think you can write him off is we don't know how many picks Thorton would throw even if he ends up being a better "sychronized" QB. It sure makes for interesting spring ball action; I have never followed this as close as this year.

[HerdBot]

Alright, I will try to give a somewhat more thorough update on my thoughts from the first scrimmage.

I watched from the sidelines, so it's hard for me to say much about the play of the offensive and defensive linemen since I did not have a great angle for it. However, the one thing that was noticeable is that the Bison are stacked at the Defensive End position. The Bison are 5 deep at that spot with Boyer, S.S., Hagen, Jirik and Emanuel. All of them can really get after the QB. Teams that get into 2nd, 3rd and long against this team are going to be in trouble.

Now, a little bit more about the other spots.

1. Quarterback- In the paper today, Bohl talked about a 3 man race for the spot. He is only being PC. This is a battle between Jensen and Thorton. Mohler did not look good at all yesterday. As usual, the only time he could make anything happen was when he got outside the pocket. When he stayed inside, literally nothing good happened.

I agree that both Jensen and Thorton looked solid yesterday. Also a couple more in-depth observations from their play...

- Thorton does a really nice job of not only completing passes, but putting the ball where it's suppose to be so that the receiver can do something with it after he catches the ball. This is something that was missing last year. To Jensen's credit, he was better at this yesterday as well than last season.

- I was also encouraged on a couple of the passes that were not completed yesterday. On the opening drive, the Jensen led the offense down to the 15. From there, he attempted a fade pass to Vraa that was incomplete. However, the good thing was that Jensen threw the pass correctly. He put good loft under it and put it in the back corner of the endzone to the outside shoulder of the receiver, where only he could make a play...exactly like it is suppose to be thrown. The ball was overthrown, but that is a timing pattern that those two will get better at with time. It's encouraging to see the ball thrown correctly.

On the next drive...Thorton led the offense into the redzone again. There he threw a corner route to Ryan Smith who made a beautiful catch but was out of bounds. Once again, the ball was thrown correctly where only the receiver could make a play on it. Again with time, that timing will develop better and during the season be a TD.

2. Running Back- McNorton saw limited snaps, so we got a chance to see the backups. Ojuri definitely is bigger and I thought his play was ok. The Bison run a downhill, hard-nosed running attack. And just like DJ his first couple years, I'm not sure Ojuri quite understands yet just how hard he needs to run. Still needs to learn to hit the hole harder and deliver blows to the defenders. Just like with DJ, I think this will come with time.

Hudson is smaller than Ojuri and needs to work on the same stuff. Nice TD run even though it was a bit of a fluke.

I thought the most impressive backup yesterday was Lang. His running style is a perfect fit for this system. Everytime he touched the ball, positive things happened. I know he's not as flashy or as big of a homerun hitter as Ojuri, but Lang will definitely help this team next year.

3. Wide Receiver- The star of yesterday was Gebhart. There is no question that he is already better than any of the guys that lined up opposite of Holloway last season...which is a very encouraging sign for this group. He reminds me very much of Heckendorf in the respect that he runs very good routes and has deceptive speed. I think he could be a 30+ catch receiver next season.

Vraa did not do a lot yesterday, but did have some balls thrown his way. As has been stated before, he is not a burner by any means. However, he's a guy that will give this team another dimension...fades to the back corner, jump balls between him and an undersized corner and a physical presence on the short routes. It make take some time for him to gain the trust of the QBs because he is not going to create tons of separation. The QB will just have to throw it and trust that Vraa will use his body and size to make the play.

As stated earlier, Smith made a beautiful catch in the endzone but was out of bounds. Also, Jensen short hopped him when he was open on about a 10-15 yard out. For a guy playing WR for the first time, he looks solid and I think will definitely be able to contribute from the slot in the 3 receiver sets.

4. Linebacker- This is a very deep position for this team. A lot of the young guys got a chance to play because of the injuries to Evans and Jemison and they were all around the ball. Hushka, Carter, Littlejohn and Beck were all making plays.

5. Cornerback- Marcus Williams is awesome...period. He will absolutely lock down one side of the field. Pierre looked solid as well. I thought the backups were ok. Dudzik was in position all day and made a couple of plays. You can tell that Boyd just started this semester. Does not look completely comfortable yet. However, I think he will be able to help this team. He is big and he can run. Kolpack mentioned that at Science he played man coverage and I could see yesterday that he was a lot more comfortable in those situations. However, still needs to be more physical with the receivers off the line. In zone situations can tell that he is doing lot of thinking. With patience, it will come around. The good thing is he never got burned or was completely out of position which is a positive step for a new guy.

6. Safety- Bison are very solid at this position with Eaves, Heagle, Pike and A.J. V. Heagle had a couple of big hits, just like we saw last year.

Dude. That was a beautiful post. I almost feel like I was at the scrimmage!

[HerdBot]

Wrote up some thoughts on the BSB, mostly the same as what fbmind is talking about.

http://ndsubisonsports.areavoices.com/

I knew they would use Emmanual as a pass rusher in the nickels spots. I'm suprised they are taking out Jirik, who like you posted was a beast. Were they rotating Jirik and Emmanual on nickel situations?

[HerdBot]

One of the biggest problems with our passing game the past couple of years has been the inability of our receivers to get open. Trevor Gebhart showed yesterday that he can get some separation AND catch the ball. He was VERY impressive and at this point I would be stunned if he is not a starter in the fall.

Redshirt freshmen Travis Beck and Carlton Littlejohn have been alternating at OLB in the absence of Brandon Jemison. Both have looked good, but my eye is always drawn to Littlejohn. He hits like a truck and has one of the most impressive looking necks I've seen in awhile. LOL! I agree with everyone that the defense looks very, very good.

Billy Turner looked rock solid at LT. He is going to be a great one. I think we have 3 standouts on the O-line in Cornick, Richard, and Turner. Improvement is still needed at the other two spots.

I was wondering about Littlejohn. I read somewhere they were looking at moving him to end, which didn't make a whole lot of sense given his size.

[bisonfan08]

I was wondering about Littlejohn. I read somewhere they were looking at moving him to end, which didn't make a whole lot of sense given his size.

Not to mention as already stated here we are quite loaded at DE.

[X-Factor]

Heard it straight from the source.

I bet they meant to say "preferred walk on". No FBS team can give partials as Burgundy was eluding to.

[HerdBot]

Wrote up some thoughts on the BSB, mostly the same as what fbmind is talking about.

http://ndsubisonsports.areavoices.com/

I also like your observation on Veldman. Hopefully they are quietly working him into the mix and unleash him (relaunch) as a secret weapon against the Gophers.

[EndZoneQB]

I bet they meant to say "preferred walk on". No FBS team can give partials as Burgundy was eluding to.

Yeah, I was thinking about it today, maybe he had a partial academic scholarship with a preferred walk-on "offer"? I guess the details might be a little foggy as said conversation was shared over a Das Boot in Lawrence...and I forgot about no partials so I didn't ask anymore questions.

[bisonhp330]

Yeah, I was thinking about it today, maybe he had a partial academic scholarship with a preferred walk-on "offer"? I guess the details might be a little foggy as said conversation was shared over a Das Boot in Lawrence...and I forgot about no partials so I didn't ask anymore questions.


FBS can give partial schollys....which would be foolish unless they dont have the money to fund all 85. they get 85 scholarships- if they give a partial it counts as a whole.

[NDSUstudent]

Head coach Craig Bohl told me today that the quarterback depth chart after the first two scrimmages is sophomore Brock Jensen No. 1, freshman Esley Thorton No. 2, junior Jose Mohler No. 3 and senior Dante Perez No. 4. “It will be evaluated after each scrimmage,” Bohl said.


http://bisonmedia.areavoices.com/2011/04/21/the-qb-depth-chart-at-least-as-of-today/

[56BISON73]

http://bisonmedia.areavoices.com/2011/04/21/the-qb-depth-chart-at-least-as-of-today/

That certainly isnt surprising.

[CAS4127]

Mohler #3--Lakes must be spinning in circles somewhere (more than normal I mean). I'm sure that will cause you to loose sleep tonight PL!!??

Otherwise, my bet is that Jensen and Thorton come out tied for #1. If Thorton gets the nod after Fall camp, he has two games to get his feet wet and make some freshmen mistakes before we get into the heart of the schedule.

[56BISON73]

Mohler #3--Lakes must be spinning in circles somewhere (more than normal I mean). I'm sure that will cause you to loose sleep tonight PL!!??

Otherwise, my bet is that Jensen and Thorton come out tied for #1. If Thorton gets the nod after Fall camp, he has two games to get his feet wet and make some freshmen mistakes before we get into the heart of the schedule.

Interesting.

[JustinTyem]

http://bisonmedia.areavoices.com/2011/04/21/the-qb-depth-chart-at-least-as-of-today/

MMMMMMMM,the 2nd scrimmage hasnt even happend yet right????

[DjKyRo]

MMMMMMMM,the 2nd scrimmage hasnt even happend yet right????

It's this Saturday.

[bisonmike2]

Mohler #3--Lakes must be spinning in circles somewhere (more than normal I mean). I'm sure that will cause you to loose sleep tonight PL!!??

Otherwise, my bet is that Jensen and Thorton come out tied for #1. If Thorton gets the nod after Fall camp, he has two games to get his feet wet and make some freshmen mistakes before we get into the heart of the schedule.

We should see if Tony would grant a temporary pardon just to let Lakes comment on this. I think it might look something like this.

PLEASE! I talked with Mohler, he's going to start PUMPING IT UP! ALL HE DOES IS WIN GAMES!!! MOHLER WILL START, BROCK WILL BACK HIM UP. I GUARANTEE THIS!!!!

[roadwarrior]

He hasn't even commented on the Bison Media Blog yet.

[JustinTyem]

It's this Saturday.

This is weird then..............The QB depth chart, at least as of today
Posted on April 21, 2011 by Jeff Kolpack
A couple of spontaneous items to get out there today:

■Head coach Craig Bohl told me today that the quarterback depth chart after the first two scrimmages is sophomore Brock Jensen No. 1, freshman Esley Thorton No. 2, junior Jose Mohler No. 3 and senior Dante Perez No. 4. “It will be evaluated after each scrimmage,” Bohl said.

[roadwarrior]

Maybe they had a scrimmage that wasnt on their schedule?

[aces1180]

We should see if Tony would grant a temporary pardon just to let Lakes comment on this. I think it might look something like this.

PLEASE! I talked with Mohler, he's going to start PUMPING IT UP! ALL HE DOES IS WIN GAMES!!! MOHLER WILL START, BROCK WILL BACK HIM UP. I GUARANTEE THIS!!!!

ALL HE DOES IS WIN!!!!! URRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

[DjKyRo]

ALL HE DOES IS WIN!!!!! URRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

Even better, all he does is win playoff games!

[bison boy]

Is the scrimmage still on for 10:30 saturday
at dakota feild ?

[56BISON73]

Even better, all he does is win playoff games!

All by his little self.

[CAS4127]

Either Kpack considered something other than a scrimmage a scrimmage, Bohl misspoke and used the word scrimmage or Kpack was preparing his Sunday blog based upon what he has been told, saw or thinks will happen come Saturday. After watching the sports last night and receiving a couple of emails from people who have been watching practices, I think Thorton will be or is already No. 2. Watch the "scrimmage" on Saturday and see if Thorton is treated like the No. 2 over the No.3, as in snaps, what "team" he takes snaps with, etc.

[JustinTyem]

Is the scrimmage still on for 10:30 saturday
at dakota feild ?

the DOME!!!!

[herdmember]

So just to confirm, scrimmage today at the dome at 10:30, free admission for anyone interested in watching...seats first come first served, do I have that correct?

[AEBison1998]

DJKyro stated that it was moved back to 11:20 today.

[sambini]

So just to confirm, scrimmage today at the dome at 10:30, free admission for anyone interested in watching...seats first come first served, do I have that correct?

You won't have any problems in finding a seat.

[Kermit]

A couple of interesting lineup changes and miscellaneous observations from today's scrimmage:

Gimmestad played RG with the #1 offense all day. The o-line was (left to right) Turner, Richard, Lund, Gimmestad, and Cornick. The #2 o-line was Britt, Beckius, Hinz, Schuler, and Pomerenke.

On defense, Leevon Perry remains out with the concussion and Scott Stoczynski moved inside to fill in. The #1 D-line was Boyer and Jirik at DE and Drevlow and Stoczynski at DT.

The linebackers with the first group (Jemison and Evans remain out) were Olson in the middle, flanked by Willson and Travis Beck. Hushka, Carter, and Littlejohn were the second group.

Brock Jensen appears to be clearly #1 at QB. Brock had a nice day throwing the ball. His accuracy seems better and he appears to be confident. He was getting the ball out more quickly than Thorton. I thought that Esley struggled a bit today, but he got more reps than Jose.

Trevor Gebhart and Reed Duchscher each caught several balls. In my opinion, Gebhart is easily the best WR right now. He is able to create space much easier than the other guys. Taylor Nelson had a nice touchdown catch and Kevin Vaadeland also had a catch or two at TE. There were several nice screen passes to McNorton and Smith.

Derek Lang was very impressive running the football. Nothing fancy, but he hits the holes quickly and he runs hard upfield.

Coulter Boyer only played one series. Jirik, Emanuel, and Hagen were all impressive rushing the passer from the edge. Juckem and Luecke were the backups at DT. Juckem blocked 2 punts and played well.

Depth is impressive at linebacker. Lots of guys made some good plays. Williams and Eaves didn't get many snaps in the secondary, but Pierre, Dudzik, and Boyd all made some nice plays at CB.

Ryan Smith made a really nice punt return at the start of the scrimmage.

[westnodak93bison]

Kermit, thanks for the update. Which TEs are blocking the best?

[HerdBot]

A couple of interesting lineup changes and miscellaneous observations from today's scrimmage:

Gimmestad played RG with the #1 offense all day. The o-line was (left to right) Turner, Richard, Lund, Gimmestad, and Cornick. The #2 o-line was Britt, Beckius, Hinz, Schuler, and Pomerenke.

On defense, Leevon Perry remains out with the concussion and Scott Stoczynski moved inside to fill in. The #1 D-line was Boyer and Jirik at DE and Drevlow and Stoczynski at DT.

The linebackers with the first group (Jemison and Evans remain out) were Olson in the middle, flanked by Willson and Travis Beck. Hushka, Carter, and Littlejohn were the second group.
I
Brock Jensen appears to be clearly #1 at QB. Brock had a nice day throwing the ball. His accuracy seems better and he appears to be confident. He was getting the ball out more quickly than Thorton. I thought that Esley struggled a bit today, but he got more reps than Jose.

Trevor Gebhart and Reed Duchscher each caught several balls. In my opinion, Gebhart is easily the best WR right now. He is able to create space much easier than the other guys. Taylor Nelson had a nice touchdown catch and Kevin Vaadeland also had a catch or two at TE. There were several nice screen passes to McNorton and Smith.

Derek Lang was very impressive running the football. Nothing fancy, but he hits the holes quickly and he runs hard upfield.

Coulter Boyer only played one series. Jirik, Emanuel, and Hagen were all impressive rushing the passer from the edge. Juckem and Luecke were the backups at DT. Juckem blocked 2 punts and played well.

Depth is impressive at linebacker. Lots of guys made some good plays. Williams and Eaves didn't get many snaps in the secondary, but Pierre, Dudzik, and Boyd all made some nice plays at CB.

Ryan Smith made a really nice punt return at the start of the scrimmage.

Thanks for the updates. We must be real thin at tackle with Stoczynski starting . He struck me as a great run stopper on D but average pass rusher. Maybe Dt is a better fit.Actually it was Lueke who blocked the kicks. Has Hagen played at DE? Haven't heard his name. Surprised Heinz was 2nd team but Lund is experienced and they probably want to see what Gimmestat can do. Still no Boen Anderson? What about Lavoy?

[IzzyFlexion]

Kermit's updates kick ass.

[HerdBot]

Bison media blog had comments from our old buddy Steve Hallstrom. Our defense got 8 sacks today including 2 from Jirik and 2 from Emmanuel. If we can continue to get that kind of pressure from the DE spot were going to be scary good.

There is even a better update on gobison..com.

Sounds like the defense destroyed the offense. Brock was 10-15. The qb overall was a tad better than 50%.

I hope out tackles can beef up a little.

At NT, Drevlow has the height 6'4" but is kind of light at 268. Juckem is bigger at nearly 290. In all fairness Perry was good enough last year at the same weight and height.

Its the DT spot thats really light. Last year Gratzek was a beast at 6'2" 290. Perry has upped his size to 6'3", 274 but he's still a little light. But Stoczynski is only 6'2", 249 and Lueke is 6'5", 253. How about Lavoy at DT? 6'4"280 is plenty big.

[BisonNeil]

A couple of interesting lineup changes and miscellaneous observations from today's scrimmage:

Gimmestad played RG with the #1 offense all day. The o-line was (left to right) Turner, Richard, Lund, Gimmestad, and Cornick. The #2 o-line was Britt, Beckius, Hinz, Schuler, and Pomerenke.

On defense, Leevon Perry remains out with the concussion and Scott Stoczynski moved inside to fill in. The #1 D-line was Boyer and Jirik at DE and Drevlow and Stoczynski at DT.

The linebackers with the first group (Jemison and Evans remain out) were Olson in the middle, flanked by Willson and Travis Beck. Hushka, Carter, and Littlejohn were the second group.

Brock Jensen appears to be clearly #1 at QB. Brock had a nice day throwing the ball. His accuracy seems better and he appears to be confident. He was getting the ball out more quickly than Thorton. I thought that Esley struggled a bit today, but he got more reps than Jose.

Trevor Gebhart and Reed Duchscher each caught several balls. In my opinion, Gebhart is easily the best WR right now. He is able to create space much easier than the other guys. Taylor Nelson had a nice touchdown catch and Kevin Vaadeland also had a catch or two at TE. There were several nice screen passes to McNorton and Smith.

Derek Lang was very impressive running the football. Nothing fancy, but he hits the holes quickly and he runs hard upfield.

Coulter Boyer only played one series. Jirik, Emanuel, and Hagen were all impressive rushing the passer from the edge. Juckem and Luecke were the backups at DT. Juckem blocked 2 punts and played well.

Depth is impressive at linebacker. Lots of guys made some good plays. Williams and Eaves didn't get many snaps in the secondary, but Pierre, Dudzik, and Boyd all made some nice plays at CB.

Ryan Smith made a really nice punt return at the start of the scrimmage.

On the media blog video I saw Dudzik go around #64 for a sack. I don't see a #64 on the roster. Any idea who he is?

[Kermit]

On the media blog video I saw Dudzik go around #64 for a sack. I don't see a #64 on the roster. Any idea who he is?

I believe Britt was wearing 64 today.

[Mr. Burgundy]

Bison media blog had comments from our old buddy Steve Hallstrom. Our defense got 8 sacks today including 2 from Jirik and 2 from Emmanuel. If we can continue to get that kind of pressure from the DE spot were going to be scary good.

There is even a better update on gobison..com.

Sounds like the defense destroyed the offense. Brock was 10-15. The qb overall was a tad better than 50%.

I hope out tackles can beef up a little.

At NT, Drevlow has the height 6'4" but is kind of light at 268. Juckem is bigger at nearly 290. In all fairness Perry was good enough last year at the same weight and height.

Its the DT spot thats really light. Last year Gratzek was a beast at 6'2" 290. Perry has upped his size to 6'3", 274 but he's still a little light. But Stoczynski is only 6'2", 249 and Lueke is 6'5", 253. How about Lavoy at DT? 6'4"280 is plenty big.

analyzing weights again. Awesome. I wonder what they run in the 40? Some of these young kids are getting really big. I thought Juckem was a beast today. Alot of fun watching him bull rush. Straight ahead, try to stop him. He is going to free up the linebackers really nicely. Jirik and Emmanuel were machine's. Their speed off the edge is fun to watch. Like I told Kermit at the scrimmage......most of these kids have 3-4 years left on this defense. It really could be special.

I thought Boyd and Dudzik looked great and are great depth at CB. I think our LB's go 20 deep, they seem to all make plays. When you add our two starting LB's to that lineup, I wouldn't want to have to call plays against us.

I will say it again, that one recruiting class will win a National Championship. They are stacked. It really is amazing how deep this football team has become.

[HerdBot]

analyzing weights again. Awesome. I wonder what they run in the 40? Some of these young kids are getting really big. I thought Juckem was a beast today. Alot of fun watching him bull rush. Straight ahead, try to stop him. He is going to free up the linebackers really nicely. Jirik and Emmanuel were machine's. Their speed off the edge is fun to watch. Like I told Kermit at the scrimmage......most of these kids have 3-4 years left on this defense. It really could be special.

I thought Boyd and Dudzik looked great and are great depth at CB. I think our LB's go 20 deep, they seem to all make plays. When you add our two starting LB's to that lineup, I wouldn't want to have to call plays against us.

I will say it again, that one recruiting class will win a National Championship. They are stacked. It really is amazing how deep this football team has become.

Good post. The only reason I brought up weight is because Bohl said on the radio a few weeks ago he's like to see then add about 20 lbs.. not sure who he was talking about though. Stoczynski is undersized for sure. Then today he said we need to improve at the point of attack.

[KTF]

On the Bison Media Blog highlight, on the first play they show a nice pass from Jenson to Gebhart. The pass was great but a few things I noticed. Jenson stared down the reciever never once looked to the right side of the field. Hopefully he can put learn to look off the safety or a pump fake.

Second the O-line opened up some nice throwing lanes for Jenson. Nice to see.

The D looks stellar. If the offense can move the ball againist that D, maybe a good sign of things to come??

[HerdBot]

On the Bison Media Blog highlight, on the first play they show a nice pass from Jenson to Gebhart. The pass was great but a few things I noticed. Jenson stared down the reciever never once looked to the right side of the field. Hopefully he can put learn to look off the safety or a pump fake.

Second the O-line opened up some nice throwing lanes for Jenson. Nice to see.

The D looks stellar. If the offense can move the ball againist that D, maybe a good sign of things to come??

I don't think they can move the ball. They were sacked 8 times and pissed off Bohl for accidentally hitting the QB. The defense was missing 4 key players too. The defense looks good. The offense? Meh.

[NDSUFan_Sav]

That defense is looking real real good....if we can put some points up on offense and with that defense we could make a nice run this year.

The LB's are looking real real good.....Carter's size reminds me of Joe Mays. Juckem is HUGE....The D-Line is looking pretty good and seem to be getting a lot of pressure. Whenever the QB throws in MWilliams direction they're making a very hard pass because he's with them stride for stride. Overall the defense has been very impressive having a lot of energy/emotion and they hit hard.

Brock had a nice ball for a TD prob 20-25 yards and threaded the needle between 2 defenders to one of the TE's I can't remember who though, nice catch in traffic. Gebhart will definitely help the passing game, I'd have to say we're better at WR compared to last year. Aside from DJ, Ojuri has some nice cuts and seems to see the field fairly well. I've always been impressed with Lang, he hits the hole hard and runs strong. Esley is looking good, but my knock on him is it seems like he holds on to the ball a tad to long.

[HerdBot]

That defense is looking real real good....if we can put some points up on offense and with that defense we could make a nice run this year.

The LB's are looking real real good.....Carter's size reminds me of Joe Mays. Juckem is HUGE....The D-Line is looking pretty good and seem to be getting a lot of pressure. Whenever the QB throws in MWilliams direction they're making a very hard pass because he's with them stride for stride. Overall the defense has been very impressive having a lot of energy/emotion and they hit hard.

Brock had a nice ball for a TD prob 20-25 yards and threaded the needle between 2 defenders to one of the TE's I can't remember who though, nice catch in traffic. Gebhart will definitely help the passing game, I'd have to say we're better at WR compared to last year. Aside from DJ, Ojuri has some nice cuts and seems to see the field fairly well. I've always been impressed with Lang, he hits the hole hard and ruins strong. Esley is looking good, but my knock on him is it seems like he holds on to the ball a tad to long.

The o has looked average zo far but Brock made a good point in an interview. They are playing without Holloway. That's 2 pretty good receivers with a ton of speed. If Ryan Smith can develop quickly, hes a threat and we will have a lot of weapons.... especially with DJ, Ojuri, and Sigers. Vraa hadn't done much yet but has some potential to be a good possession guy. Throw in the 6'7" Veldman and we have skilled players. We just need the QB to find them and for Vigen to call the right plays.

[JustinTyem]

On the Bison Media Blog highlight, on the first play they show a nice pass from Jenson to Gebhart. The pass was great but a few things I noticed. Jenson stared down the reciever never once looked to the right side of the field. Hopefully he can put learn to look off the safety or a pump fake.

Second the O-line opened up some nice throwing lanes for Jenson. Nice to see.

The D looks stellar. If the offense can move the ball againist that D, maybe a good sign of things to come??

Where did Brock stare down on the right side(media blog highlight),the one that could have been,was on the left side and a quick a TE slant of soph.#49 Kevin Vaadeland. Unless im blind.

[NDSUFan_Sav]

The o has looked average zo far but Brock made a good point in an interview. They are playing without Holloway. That's 2 pretty good receivers with a ton of speed. If Ryan Smith can develop quickly, hes a threat and we will have a lot of weapons.... especially with DJ, Ojuri, and Sigers. Vraa hadn't done much yet but has some potential to be a good possession guy. Leave the 6'7" Veldman on the bench and hopefully our other TE's can step up and do what that 6'7" was suppose to be doing. We just need the QB to find them and for Vigen to call the right plays.

fixed your post...he's been a huge disappointment, he was struggling to get open today against our LBs....seriously you have 5-7 inches on those guys, should be able to spread that field and throwing up the ball to him and let him go get it. Injuries have also affected him, but he needs to show a lot more this season.

[HerdBot]

fixed your post...he's been a huge disappointment, he was struggling to get open today against our LBs....seriously you have 5-7 inches on those guys, should be able to spread that field and throwing up the ball to him and let him go get it. Injuries have also affected him, but he needs to show a lot more this season.

Thats a bummer. Maybe they should only use his strength which is height and use him exclusively in the red zone. He could be valuable with the right matchup. He may be too skinny. That's why he's always hurt. Didn't put on any weight.

[DjKyRo]

Thats a bummer. Maybe they should only use his strength which is height and use him exclusively in the red zone. He could be valuable with the right matchup. He may be too skinny. That's why he's always hurt. Didn't put on any weight.

His weight isn't an issue, he's put-together well enough.

[SlickVic]

His weight isn't an issue, he's put-together well enough.

Got it...moving on to bigger and better things I noticed your bff gus johnson was lead announcer on showtime championship boxing tonight and I must say he was a super star...research project for ya djkyro if you are up to the challenge I'd like to know what mr. Johnson makes announcing a prize fight versus an ncaa tourney game...twice as much on the prize fight is my final answer from what I can gather he's shotimes new pay per view guy and he's going to make more bank than anything college basketball has to offer

[IzzyFlexion]

analyzing weights again. Awesome. I wonder what they run in the 40? Some of these young kids are getting really big. I thought Juckem was a beast today. Alot of fun watching him bull rush. Straight ahead, try to stop him. He is going to free up the linebackers really nicely. Jirik and Emmanuel were machine's. Their speed off the edge is fun to watch. Like I told Kermit at the scrimmage......most of these kids have 3-4 years left on this defense. It really could be special.

I thought Boyd and Dudzik looked great and are great depth at CB. I think our LB's go 20 deep, they seem to all make plays. When you add our two starting LB's to that lineup, I wouldn't want to have to call plays against us.

I will say it again, that one recruiting class will win a National Championship. They are stacked. It really is amazing how deep this football team has become.

LOVE to hear that!! Can't wait to see his contribution this fall.

[GradBison]

The o has looked average zo far but Brock made a good point in an interview. They are playing without Holloway. That's 2 pretty good receivers with a ton of speed. If Ryan Smith can develop quickly, hes a threat and we will have a lot of weapons.... especially with DJ, Ojuri, and Sigers. Vraa hadn't done much yet but has some potential to be a good possession guy. Throw in the 6'7" Veldman and we have skilled players. We just need the QB to find them and for Vigen to call the right plays.

Have you seen the offense at all this spring? Or you going off 2 minute highlight clips and written reports?

The offense will be improved from last year. Also, I saw you quote a completion percentage for "all QBs" in one post, that's not fair. In the two scrimmages so far, Brock has had a 68% completion percentage. A marked improvement against a defense as strong as ours.

[HerdBot]

Have you seen the offense at all this spring? Or you going off 2 minute highlight clips and written reports?

The offense will be improved from last year. Also, I saw you quote a completion percentage for "all QBs" in one post, that's not fair. In the two scrimmages so far, Brock has had a 68% completion percentage. A marked improvement against a defense as strong as ours.

Saw about 30 minutes and read every report. The oline looks good in straight ahead run plays but pass protection seemed average. But i have no idea if it was the 1st or 2nd team since I forgot a program.

Last year Brock completed almost 70% % of his passes at the spring game last year so you cant read too much into it. Bohl claims they were clearly opening it up a bit for the 2nd scrimmage so that's a good sign.

[NDSUFan_Sav]

Saw about 30 minutes and read every report. The oline looks good in straight ahead run plays but pass protection seemed average. But i have no idea if it was the 1st or 2nd team since I forgot a program.

Last year Brock completed almost 70% % of his passes at the spring game last year so you cant read too much into it. Bohl claims they were clearly opening it up a bit for the 2nd scrimmage so that's a good sign.

If you don't know what billy turner looks like to determine if its O-Line 1 or 2 there's something wrong with you.

Yeah, Brock looked really good in last year's spring game, but he's making throws this year he wasn't making consistently last year. I like our WR's this year then I did last year with Gebhart and possibly Vraa stepping up to go with Warren, we need help from the TE's as well. I think we're further ahead this year then last year offensively.

[DjKyRo]

I think we're further ahead this year then last year offensively.

This has a lot of truth, and let's not forget our WRs are going against two of the better corners in the MVFC. Gebhart and Vraa are going to be beastly and a big part of last season's passing woes was the inability of WRs to consistently get open. I don't think our passing game will be elite next season by any means, but it will be improved - and how much would even an average passing attack have helped last season?

[NDSUFan_Sav]

This has a lot of truth, and let's not forget our WRs are going against two of the better corners in the MVFC. Gebhart and Vraa are going to be beastly and a big part of last season's passing woes was the inability of WRs to consistently get open. I don't think our passing game will be elite next season by any means, but it will be improved - and how much would even an average passing attack have helped last season?

We might have been celebrating in TX......

Gebhart gets open really well and that will help tremendously, if Vraa and Smith can add to the Gebhart and Warren combo...I see an improved passing attack and having ojuri and dj doing their thing....could be a better offense.

[HerdBot]

If you don't know what billy turner looks like to determine if its O-Line 1 or 2 there's something wrong with you.

Yeah, Brock looked really good in last year's spring game, but he's making throws this year he wasn't making consistently last year. I like our WR's this year then I did last year with Gebhart and possibly Vraa stepping up to go with Warren, we need help from the TE's as well. I think we're further ahead this year then last year offensively.

I could tell our 1st string offense but I wasnt sure at times if they were going against the 1st or 2nd team defense. With all the linebackers out there are lots of new names and faces. Seemed like the d was great no matter who was in.

[GradBison]

Saw about 30 minutes and read every report. The oline looks good in straight ahead run plays but pass protection seemed average. But i have no idea if it was the 1st or 2nd team since I forgot a program.

Last year Brock completed almost 70% % of his passes at the spring game last year so you cant read too much into it. Bohl claims they were clearly opening it up a bit for the 2nd scrimmage so that's a good sign.

Fair enough, as long as you don't read too much into the 40s% completion rate you posted for all QBs. ;)

[X-Factor]

Fair enough, as long as you don't read too much into the 40s% completion rate you posted for all QBs. ;)

Although, that is about what I expect our first two opponents to get against us this fall.

[BisonNolesFan77]

I don't think they can move the ball. They were sacked 8 times and pissed off Bohl for accidentally hitting the QB. The defense was missing 4 key players too. The defense looks good. The offense? Meh.

Defense is always going to be ahead of the offense in the Spring...if the offense was moving the ball up and down the field in any way they wanted, then you can be worried. Defense looking good and offense not so great, not a huge deal at all in Spring.

[ndbj52]

Defense is always going to be ahead of the offense in the Spring...if the offense was moving the ball up and down the field in any way they wanted, then you can be worried. Defense looking good and offense not so great, not a huge deal at all in Spring.

I agree. If it was the end of fall camp and the offense looked like they did it would be an issue, but not in spring practice where younger guys are getting more of a chance to play.

[X-Factor]

I am encouraged by Gimmestad in the starting lineup. It looks like the move from DT may be a success, especially considering the guys he has to beat out to get the nod. There should be some heavy competition on the OL and I think that the battle is far from over. You just can't get excited enough about the potential this fall for a massive running game with all these big guys plus Ojuri and DJ and an all-star FB to block.