NDSU’s Smith in transition

[JustinTyem]

“Ryan is going to be a good weapon for us,” said quarterback Brock Jensen. http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/331315/

[CAS4127]

“Ryan is going to be a good weapon for us,” said quarterback Brock Jensen. http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/331315/

I know I am going to get pounded on this one, but I really don't see Smith as being a big play, all-around good athlete. :hide: He sorta reminds me of a Chuck Knoblach (sp?) kinda guy. Didn't he get yanked from KO return man last year because he was getting tripped up to easily/often?

I have just yet to be impressed with him:paperbag:--but I will give him a chance.

[CaBisonFan]

I know I am going to get pounded on this one, but I really don't see Smith as being a big play, all-around good athlete. :hide: He sorta reminds me of a Chuck Knoblach (sp?) kinda guy. Didn't he get yanked from KO return man last year because he was getting tripped up to easily/often?

I have just yet to be impressed with him:paperbag:--but I will give him a chance.

Strictly from the viewpoint of an internet game watcher...I saw the same thing. There must be something that I'm missing...seriously. So many people have a high opinion of his abilities. I hope that these people are right.

[OrygunBison]

Strictly from the viewpoint of an internet game watcher...I saw the same thing. There must be something that I'm missing...seriously. So many people have a high opinion of his abilities. I hope that these people are right.

Same here, also from my computer. He's clearly very, VERY fast but he doesn't seem all that quick. He seemed to plow right into the crowd and got tripped up early rather than having the moves in open space to make people miss.

[Bison Dan]

I know I am going to get pounded on this one, but I really don't see Smith as being a big play, all-around good athlete. :hide: He sorta reminds me of a Chuck Knoblach (sp?) kinda guy. Didn't he get yanked from KO return man last year because he was getting tripped up to easily/often?

I have just yet to be impressed with him:paperbag:--but I will give him a chance.

You have to remember that Ryan was a TRUE freshman last year. I think he'll have a great year.

[Bison06]

I know I am going to get pounded on this one, but I really don't see Smith as being a big play, all-around good athlete. :hide: He sorta reminds me of a Chuck Knoblach (sp?) kinda guy. Didn't he get yanked from KO return man last year because he was getting tripped up to easily/often?

I have just yet to be impressed with him:paperbag:--but I will give him a chance.

I can see why most might feel the same way. Most of my excitement about Ryan comes from knowing what type of player he is because I watched him since he was in 5th grade and also knowing his work ethic.

I believe he is exactly the type of player our offense has been missing in the past 4-5 years. Kind of a wildcard, he could line up at running back, catch a ball over the middle, break a tackle and then has the speed to run away from everyone.

I am really excited to watch how they utilize his skill set this fall.

[344Johnson]

He's a bit undersized but it is very hard to ignore that speed he can provide. If only he had 5' 11" 200 lb. frame with that speed.

[OrygunBison]

If only he had 5' 11" 200 lb. frame with that speed...

...we would not have succeeded in signing him.

[Mr. Burgundy]

Strictly from the viewpoint of an internet game watcher...I saw the same thing. There must be something that I'm missing...seriously. So many people have a high opinion of his abilities. I hope that these people are right.

I was on the fence until the scrimmage. He was electric. The counter/end around play was sick. he can flat out fly, is put together and shifty. he is different and that is what will make him good. I am excited about his spot in the slot. He was never going to be a tailback for us, but he will touch the ball quite a bit in different ways, and that is exciting. I think everyone will like him after we see him this year. Great move in getting him in the slot, they have to respect that handoff/fake handoff. During the scrimmage, I told Kermit he reminds me of a Percy Harvin type guy. If they fake the end around, the DE was biting....which means our tailback has one less man to beat. I think this is a tool that Vigen needed. Damn, I am excited for this year.

[NDSUstudent]

I was on the fence until the scrimmage. He was electric. The counter/end around play was sick. he can flat out fly, is put together and shifty. he is different and that is what will make him good. I am excited about his spot in the slot. He was never going to be a tailback for us, but he will touch the ball quite a bit in different ways, and that is exciting. I think everyone will like him after we see him this year. Great move in getting him in the slot, they have to respect that handoff/fake handoff. During the scrimmage, I told Kermit he reminds me of a Percy Harvin type guy. If they fake the end around, the DE was biting....which means our tailback has one less man to beat. I think this is a tool that Vigen needed. Damn, I am excited for this year.

Agree 100% with this, he was built for the slot with his speed and shiftiness.

[ThunderDan]

I know I am going to get pounded on this one, but I really don't see Smith as being a big play, all-around good athlete. :hide: He sorta reminds me of a Chuck Knoblach (sp?) kinda guy. Didn't he get yanked from KO return man last year because he was getting tripped up to easily/often?

I have just yet to be impressed with him:paperbag:--but I will give him a chance.

Chuck Knoblauch.....lol, that makes me laugh. Poor Chuck, he was on the Twins world series team, but I only remember him for his inability to throw to first base with the yankees....and i guess the HGH and common law wife beating didn't help his rep any either. http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-09-29/sports/17931178_1_yankee-second-baseman-chuck-knoblauch-gold-glove-infielder

[OrygunBison]

Agree 100% with this, he was built for the slot with his speed and shiftiness.

Clearly, I'm missing something. He's never seemed that "shifty" to me. Admittedly, I have a limited view. I'm super pumped that this move seems to be working. There's no doubt that he is really f'ing fast.

I'm so pumped for football to start. Last night, I watched a rerun of the Oregon/Tennessee game from last season. For this year's Bison opener, I'll be in a hotel room in Louisville watching from my laptop. LSU/Oregon will be on the TV at the same time. Just 10 days!!!!!!!!!!

[HerdBot]

I know I am going to get pounded on this one, but I really don't see Smith as being a big play, all-around good athlete. :hide: He sorta reminds me of a Chuck Knoblach (sp?) kinda guy. Didn't he get yanked from KO return man last year because he was getting tripped up to easily/often?

I have just yet to be impressed with him:paperbag:--but I will give him a chance.

Well he was a true freshman last year and he did get tripped up a lot but he's added 8 pounds of muscle since last year so that should help. He has to have some shiftiness or he wouldn't have been recruited as a running back and his open field speed has got to be one of the best on the team. From what I've read, he has great hands too. I can see him catching some quick slants and bubble screens and going untouched or running reverses or end arounds. We didn't see a ton of shiftiness last year but he had some flashes of brilliance.

[CAS4127]

Well he was a true freshman last year and he did get tripped up a lot but he's added 8 pounds of muscle since last year so that should help. He has to have some shiftiness or he wouldn't have been recruited as a running back and his open field speed has got to be one of the best on the team. From what I've read, he has great hands too. I can see him catching some quick slants and bubble screens and going untouched or running reverses or end arounds. We didn't see a ton of shiftiness last year but he had some flashes of brilliance.

That is not necessarily true. Plus, to the extent I saw any "shiftiness" or moves from him last year, they were mechanical-like, not smooth. It was like he had to let his body catch up to his feet, and almost looked clumsy. Like I said, I will give him a chance, but, from what I have seen so far, he is just a fast runner, not a fluid athlete.

[Bison"FANatic"]

I think a lot of this comes from the shiftiness that a lot of us have seen has been in the practice scrimmages and not in the games. He runs into a lot of teams that punt high and short as not to allow a return and just get a fair catch. If the opposing team out kicks its coverage he can make you pay. I broke down the numbers earlier this year and when you take out his one good game the numbers are very so so but he fair caught a lot and that was do to respect from the other teams.

[silkamilkamonico]

I didn't get the impression of him being shifty at all either. He seemed to have straight line speed to me and that's it. Was never impressed at all with his quickness or change of direction either.

I do think he might be good in the slot for something that's been mentioned. He is very fast and if he can get to the outside it can be a huge play.

I don't think our offense is going to be that dynamic or explosive at all this year and that's ok. I can see us winning alot of games with our defense, and I'm just hoping the offense runs the ball and doesn't turn it over. That's our brand of football and we can win with it.

[CAS4127]

I think a lot of this comes from the shiftiness that a lot of us have seen has been in the practice scrimmages and not in the games. He runs into a lot of teams that punt high and short as not to allow a return and just get a fair catch. If the opposing team out kicks its coverage he can make you pay. I broke down the numbers earlier this year and when you take out his one good game the numbers are very so so but he fair caught a lot and that was do to respect from the other teams.

Given that, I doubt seriously teams were afraid to kick to him--sounds more like good punting and punt coverage, but I do recall several fair catches that were suspect in terms of whether there should have been an attempt at returning them.

I'm done here now--I will wait to watch what he looks like in the first 2-3 games.

[westnodak93bison]

Given that, I doubt seriously teams were afraid to kick to him--sounds more like good punting and punt coverage, but I do recall several fair catches that were suspect in terms of whether there should have been an attempt at returning them.

I'm done here now--I will wait to watch what he looks like in the first 2-3 games.

IMHO the staff chose to have him fair catch many of the punts to minimize turnovers.

[HerdBot]

Given that, I doubt seriously teams were afraid to kick to him--sounds more like good punting and punt coverage, but I do recall several fair catches that were suspect in terms of whether there should have been an attempt at returning them.

I'm done here now--I will wait to watch what he looks like in the first 2-3 games.


Speaking of the first 2 games... since the opponent's are going to be easier (not easy), it could be a good time to showcase him by giving him more touches. That kind of stuff can really help plan for the Gophers, giving them some funky looks on tape. Last time we played them we faked the end around a half dozen times and we got many big plays because of it. It was perles at his best. Well executed

[tony]

When Smith got the ball later in the season, he didn't appear easy to bring down at all.

Getting tripped up? Well, it's really hard not to go down when that happens.

[344Johnson]

Not an easy transition from High School to Division 1, especially when you are his size. I remember playing against him and he was an inch or so shorter than me and about the same weight. Who knows? Maybe year 1 to year 2 will have given him the time to make an even bigger contribution to the Herd.

[Notorious]

Not an easy transition from High School to Division 1, especially when you are his size. I remember playing against him and he was an inch or so shorter than me and about the same weight. Who knows? Maybe year 1 to year 2 will have given him the time to make an even bigger contribution to the Herd.

As you know, I like you 344...or 12th, or whatever you go by...maybe you should try out for the squad...obviously, you have crushed smith in the past :)

Only kidding...you're a great young guy, 343!

[CAS4127]

@ Tony: If u pick ur feet up and or avoid little arm tackles u don't get 'tripped' up--just sayin'!!