FUBeAR wrote: ↑Tue Mar 30, 2021 2:26 pm
Mercer
* Young everywhere, but playing hard
* Defensive Front 7 has played well despite their youth & despite some of the rushing stats you might want to read too much into.
* Secondary is talented, but they are also young (for the most part) and have given up some big plays
* O-Line is very young and is improving. They WERE bad against Woffy & LOOKED bad against VMI...even though they played well. Have to remember in this O, A LOT of the blocking at the point of attack is done by backs
* QB is True FR - Bigger version of a John Russ type, but he doesn’t throw as well (velocity, nor accuracy). Also, doesn’t play like a wily veteran yet (as Russ did from the time he moved into his dorm in Maconga). Also, probably not quite as fleet as #7 was. All that said, he’s a tough runner, a gamer, and throws pretty well on the run. He will keep plays alive & often make chicken salad out of chicken poop. Ball handling in a complex offense could be smoother, but it’s improving each week.
* RB’s/TE’s/Retrievers - Combined in this O - Young, learning, playing hard, no Stars yet, but all have shown they have the capability to be productive.
* Special Teams - Kicking has been good. Punting seems to have been fixed with a change there. Coverage of Kickoffs has not been great. KOR has been good - but hampered by injury to Deondre Johnson - still playing - just not returning kicks
Overall - Work in Progress. Have played very well at home in 3 games (1 in Fall). Gave Jax State all they wanted in the Fall. Will be looking to stay in the game & fins a way to win in the 4th quarter.
Very winnable game for Furman, but it will not be easy...unless FU’s D can force meaningful mistakes by Mercer’s O or force them to string together several sets of multiple ‘3 & outs’...and/or FU’s O can run effectively enough to force them to stack box with 8...and then hit explosive pass plays taking advantage of some of the Secondary issues the Bears have shown.