hunt-ducks
Well-known member
Wow! Not enough superlatives to describe the Griz performance last night!
Here are some musings from the game.......
--- If Patrick O-Connell is not the Big Sky defensive player-of-the-week, there is no justice. 10 tackles, 8 of them solo, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and several QB pressures. I remember a couple of weeks ago standing next to him at practice, and noticing that he had seemed to add about 10-15 lbs from last season, and how freakin' ripped he was. This guy will give QBs nightmares all season long. He is a great pass rusher!
--- Welnel showed how fast he is last night. He was literally all over the field, pursuing to the ball, and dropping into passing lanes. It is saying a lot when Jace Lewis was the thrid best LB on the field for us last night, and this is not a slight on Jace, as he played great too! The best thing about these 3, is having 3 great LBs from the state of Montana all starting for UM.
--- Our two CBs are the best pair we have seen at UM in a decade. These guys can cover, and can provide great run support on the edge. The Huskies tried to run outside several times in the second half, only to get pounded hard by Onu, Robby, et. al. The entire secondary played the best as a unit in memory. Morris had only 226 passing yards on 46 attempts. The reason was a combination of great pressure from our line and blitzing LBs, as well as great secondary coverage.
--- The Griz hit harder than UDUB, and played with much more passion. One could see the declining enthusiasm and poor body language of the Huskies as it became obvious that they were in for a tough-assed game. They thought that they would be the team providing the big hits to Montana, but the Griz turned the tables on them, and they never responded in kind.
--- We finally have an O-line who can run-block. It has been many years, and it was a pleasure watching them open holes for our RBs, who all played well, with zero turnovers. Winning the TO battle 3-0 was critical for this victory.
--- Finally, a discussion about Cam Humphrey. Cam looked lost in the first half, throwing for only 22 yards, and doing exactly what my major criticism of him has been........ throwing the ball too hard on every pass, making several passes UN-catcheable.
A big part of QB play is being able to throw passes which allow the receiver to be able to adjust on the pass, and turn slightly inaccurate throws into receptions. When a QB throws a bullet on every pass, it must be 100% accurate for the completion to take place. There is no time for a receiver to adjust and use his catching skills to make the reception. Cam made several throws last night to open receivers which were thrown too hot, and not accurate enough to allow the WR to make the catch. I was hoping that Cam would develop touch on his passes, but I don't see it happening.
However, I loved the way Cam led the team on the last couple of drives. He showed great leadership, toughness in playing through that leg cramp, and willing the offense to the score. He did not try to do it by himself, but allowed the game to come to him (unlike his first half performance). Great job.
In summary, I believe that the Cam we saw last night is the QB we will live and die with this season. His performances will be a roller-coaster, as he continues to try to wing every throw at maximum velocity...... making some incredible completions, but also missing many wide-open receivers with hot, inaccurate throws. If he can just manage the offense, allow our great O-line to open-up the running game, and avoid turnovers, we may be fine.
Here are some musings from the game.......
--- If Patrick O-Connell is not the Big Sky defensive player-of-the-week, there is no justice. 10 tackles, 8 of them solo, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and several QB pressures. I remember a couple of weeks ago standing next to him at practice, and noticing that he had seemed to add about 10-15 lbs from last season, and how freakin' ripped he was. This guy will give QBs nightmares all season long. He is a great pass rusher!
--- Welnel showed how fast he is last night. He was literally all over the field, pursuing to the ball, and dropping into passing lanes. It is saying a lot when Jace Lewis was the thrid best LB on the field for us last night, and this is not a slight on Jace, as he played great too! The best thing about these 3, is having 3 great LBs from the state of Montana all starting for UM.
--- Our two CBs are the best pair we have seen at UM in a decade. These guys can cover, and can provide great run support on the edge. The Huskies tried to run outside several times in the second half, only to get pounded hard by Onu, Robby, et. al. The entire secondary played the best as a unit in memory. Morris had only 226 passing yards on 46 attempts. The reason was a combination of great pressure from our line and blitzing LBs, as well as great secondary coverage.
--- The Griz hit harder than UDUB, and played with much more passion. One could see the declining enthusiasm and poor body language of the Huskies as it became obvious that they were in for a tough-assed game. They thought that they would be the team providing the big hits to Montana, but the Griz turned the tables on them, and they never responded in kind.
--- We finally have an O-line who can run-block. It has been many years, and it was a pleasure watching them open holes for our RBs, who all played well, with zero turnovers. Winning the TO battle 3-0 was critical for this victory.
--- Finally, a discussion about Cam Humphrey. Cam looked lost in the first half, throwing for only 22 yards, and doing exactly what my major criticism of him has been........ throwing the ball too hard on every pass, making several passes UN-catcheable.
A big part of QB play is being able to throw passes which allow the receiver to be able to adjust on the pass, and turn slightly inaccurate throws into receptions. When a QB throws a bullet on every pass, it must be 100% accurate for the completion to take place. There is no time for a receiver to adjust and use his catching skills to make the reception. Cam made several throws last night to open receivers which were thrown too hot, and not accurate enough to allow the WR to make the catch. I was hoping that Cam would develop touch on his passes, but I don't see it happening.
However, I loved the way Cam led the team on the last couple of drives. He showed great leadership, toughness in playing through that leg cramp, and willing the offense to the score. He did not try to do it by himself, but allowed the game to come to him (unlike his first half performance). Great job.
In summary, I believe that the Cam we saw last night is the QB we will live and die with this season. His performances will be a roller-coaster, as he continues to try to wing every throw at maximum velocity...... making some incredible completions, but also missing many wide-open receivers with hot, inaccurate throws. If he can just manage the offense, allow our great O-line to open-up the running game, and avoid turnovers, we may be fine.
