Positives:
-The Bruins came out and really shocked those, (including me) who thought they would feed the best that is Paul Perkins and keep the reins on Rosen. Boy was I wrong. He had practices during fall camp that were okay and made some impressive throws but never did I believe he could do what he did today in his first collegiate start. He was dropping dimes left and right and spread the ball around beautifully. He far exceeded my expectations and clearly the expectations of Virginia's defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta.
-Paul Perkins, while he was limited due to the gameplan against him, was a solid presence today and really began to take advantage in the second quarter and beyond. His pass catching was on display today but more importantly he was a very functional blocker, keeping his young quarterback upright and allowing him to make the throw. He is what every running back should strive to be.
-The offensive line kept Rosen pretty clean and went toe to toe with eight man fronts most of the game. They opened holes and were very effective pass blocking. Given the success of Rosen today, I can see them facing fewer and fewer loaded boxes all year.
-Receivers, besides Kenny Walker's huge drop on the first play, made Rosen's life a little easier displaying strong hands and the ability to separate. Thomas Duarte made an amazing 30 yard touchdown catch, just grabbing the back end of the ball before coming down in the endzone. Jordan Payton, although not a major target on the day, came through in the clutch with some big catches. Going forward this group continues to be a strength for the Bruins.
-Bolu Olorunfunmi and Soso Jamabo were impressive today as well. I know I said Soso didn't look good in practice but today he was on full display, slashing and gliding his way to an eyebrow raising debut. Bowling ball Bolu was daring Virginia defenders to tackle him and more often than not decided to take a few for a ride. With Nate Starks not in the game, these two demonstrated the lightning and thunder they're going to unleash on the PAC-12 in the next few seasons should they stay healthy and continue to develop.
-The defensive line played on fire all game long no matter who was in. The real star of the show today was Kenny Clark who was run stuffer, applied interior pressure, chased down plays sideline to sideline and oh let's not forget caught a pass for a touchdown. Eddie Vanderodes looked so much better after slimming down and getting healthy this offseason. The line as a whole consistently found their way into the backfield, shutting down the run save for a few big plays and made throwing the ball from the pocket a very uncomfortable experience.
-Outside linebackers tore it up. Deon Hollins shifted into an extra gear to beat offensive tackles and chase plays down. Against the run he proved he has more than enough strength to contend with the big boys. Kene Orjioke looked explosive and not hindered by his surgically repaired knee. Even Aaron Wallace made his presence known with solid work today.
-The coaching staff was solid today. There were no clock bungles or strange play calls that left fans scratching their heads. Perhaps the best move of the day was pulling Rosen even though he could have easily thrown for 400 yards and replacing him with Jerry Neuheisel. Not risking the future of your program, no matter how incredible his day up to that point, demonstrates the foresight and importance the staff places on the young quarterback.
Negatives:
-Inside linebackers struggled some. Kenny Young was exposed in some of his drops being beaten by running backs one on one. Hopefully that is something he can improve upon as the season wears on because none of his backups fared much better. Jayon Brown was beat for a big pass play and Isaako Savaiinaea dropped a sure fire interception. Myles Jack needs to use his hands better and disengage from blocks. His penalties were costly and allowed drives to continue. All of these things are fixable but sooner rather than latter is better.
-The secondary struggled to stop the pass against a team that would actually prefer to run the ball. The Bruins mostly played off and soft allowing for Virginia receivers to settle into zones or simply be run by in man coverage. Route disruption would have really helped out the pass rush who was just a step late in getting the sack. Outside of Adarius Pickett who played lights out, the secondary was lacking.
-Special teams continue to be a work in progress as Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a field goal. In the end it did not affect the outcome of the game but the continued inconsistency has to be concerning. Matt Mengel also was up and down in his punt duties. Despite all of this, the coverage units were strong and didn't allow for field position to be gained easily.
-Now I know I said the coaching was good today but I do have an issue with some of the play calling. Right out of the half, the Bruins went three and out without a run play during the series. Rosen was balling out of his mind but that doesn't mean you stray from the gameplan. It wasn't successful and resulted in a quick punt. Also the Bruins could have been aided by some adjustments in the secondary that would have limited the effectiveness of the passing game.
-The Bruins came out and really shocked those, (including me) who thought they would feed the best that is Paul Perkins and keep the reins on Rosen. Boy was I wrong. He had practices during fall camp that were okay and made some impressive throws but never did I believe he could do what he did today in his first collegiate start. He was dropping dimes left and right and spread the ball around beautifully. He far exceeded my expectations and clearly the expectations of Virginia's defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta.
-Paul Perkins, while he was limited due to the gameplan against him, was a solid presence today and really began to take advantage in the second quarter and beyond. His pass catching was on display today but more importantly he was a very functional blocker, keeping his young quarterback upright and allowing him to make the throw. He is what every running back should strive to be.
-The offensive line kept Rosen pretty clean and went toe to toe with eight man fronts most of the game. They opened holes and were very effective pass blocking. Given the success of Rosen today, I can see them facing fewer and fewer loaded boxes all year.
-Receivers, besides Kenny Walker's huge drop on the first play, made Rosen's life a little easier displaying strong hands and the ability to separate. Thomas Duarte made an amazing 30 yard touchdown catch, just grabbing the back end of the ball before coming down in the endzone. Jordan Payton, although not a major target on the day, came through in the clutch with some big catches. Going forward this group continues to be a strength for the Bruins.
-Bolu Olorunfunmi and Soso Jamabo were impressive today as well. I know I said Soso didn't look good in practice but today he was on full display, slashing and gliding his way to an eyebrow raising debut. Bowling ball Bolu was daring Virginia defenders to tackle him and more often than not decided to take a few for a ride. With Nate Starks not in the game, these two demonstrated the lightning and thunder they're going to unleash on the PAC-12 in the next few seasons should they stay healthy and continue to develop.
-The defensive line played on fire all game long no matter who was in. The real star of the show today was Kenny Clark who was run stuffer, applied interior pressure, chased down plays sideline to sideline and oh let's not forget caught a pass for a touchdown. Eddie Vanderodes looked so much better after slimming down and getting healthy this offseason. The line as a whole consistently found their way into the backfield, shutting down the run save for a few big plays and made throwing the ball from the pocket a very uncomfortable experience.
-Outside linebackers tore it up. Deon Hollins shifted into an extra gear to beat offensive tackles and chase plays down. Against the run he proved he has more than enough strength to contend with the big boys. Kene Orjioke looked explosive and not hindered by his surgically repaired knee. Even Aaron Wallace made his presence known with solid work today.
-The coaching staff was solid today. There were no clock bungles or strange play calls that left fans scratching their heads. Perhaps the best move of the day was pulling Rosen even though he could have easily thrown for 400 yards and replacing him with Jerry Neuheisel. Not risking the future of your program, no matter how incredible his day up to that point, demonstrates the foresight and importance the staff places on the young quarterback.
Negatives:
-Inside linebackers struggled some. Kenny Young was exposed in some of his drops being beaten by running backs one on one. Hopefully that is something he can improve upon as the season wears on because none of his backups fared much better. Jayon Brown was beat for a big pass play and Isaako Savaiinaea dropped a sure fire interception. Myles Jack needs to use his hands better and disengage from blocks. His penalties were costly and allowed drives to continue. All of these things are fixable but sooner rather than latter is better.
-The secondary struggled to stop the pass against a team that would actually prefer to run the ball. The Bruins mostly played off and soft allowing for Virginia receivers to settle into zones or simply be run by in man coverage. Route disruption would have really helped out the pass rush who was just a step late in getting the sack. Outside of Adarius Pickett who played lights out, the secondary was lacking.
-Special teams continue to be a work in progress as Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a field goal. In the end it did not affect the outcome of the game but the continued inconsistency has to be concerning. Matt Mengel also was up and down in his punt duties. Despite all of this, the coverage units were strong and didn't allow for field position to be gained easily.
-Now I know I said the coaching was good today but I do have an issue with some of the play calling. Right out of the half, the Bruins went three and out without a run play during the series. Rosen was balling out of his mind but that doesn't mean you stray from the gameplan. It wasn't successful and resulted in a quick punt. Also the Bruins could have been aided by some adjustments in the secondary that would have limited the effectiveness of the passing game.
