SB Nation - LeSean McCoy

Dion Lewis: A Tremendous Challenge

Sean Keeley — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:07:48 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

If there's any one player Syracuse is game-planning for, it's Dion Lewis. The Pittsburgh running back is a leading contender for college freshman of the year, having rushed for 1,065 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.

For the record, Lewis is from Albany. And he was not recruited by Syracuse. Greg Robinson, ladies and gentlemen!

Lewis has gone over 100-yard five times this season including a 190-yard, 2 TD day against Buffalo and a 180-yard, 2 TD day against Rutgers.

Now Syracuse's run D is it's best asset but that doesn't mean a quality RB can't break through. West Virginia's Noel Devine managed 91 yards and a TD against the Orange. If any back is going to be able to find similiar success, it's Lewis. I mean, listen to the kind of praise he's getting from the Orange:

"I think he has tremendous vision. I think the line does a great job. I think the receivers do a good job blocking down the field. You're looking at a running back who averages five yards a carry. You're looking at vision, you're looking at toughness, you're looking at someone who can hold onto the football and someone that can score." - Doug Marrone

"(Lewis) has done a tremendous job coming in for LeSean McCoy...He's probably one of the best backs in the country." - Derrell Smith

Antwon Bailey is using his suspension wisely, acting like Lewis on the practice squad to help them prepare. At the end of the day, it's going to be a dogfight in the trenches and Derrell & Co. are ready:

"It's strength against strength," Smith said. "We have a good rush defense. They have a very good running attack. So may be the best man win."

Oh, Right, We Play Pittsburgh On Saturday

Sean Keeley — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:32:20 -0000

More photos » by KEITH SRAKOCIC - AP

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Seriously, have you even thought about the game this weekend yet? I feel like with everything going on this week it's become an afterthought. Not to mention the fact that Pittsburgh is, um, actually pretty good. They're 7-1 and ranked 14th in the nation. WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN? I need answers...

Thankfully, Lee from Eye Of A Panther was kind enough to provide those answers. Check them out below as you begin to prep for this weekend's showdown and if you feel so inclined swing by Eye to see my answers to his questions. You can tell me why I'm wrong. It's fun.

Pittsburgh is ranked 7-1 and 14th in the nation. Is this about what you were expecting before the season or is it ahead of expectations?

Well it's definitely ahead of my expectations. I don't remember off-hand, but I think I predicted 8-4 for Pitt at the beginning of the year. Now, that would be a huge disappointment if that happened. The funny thing about Pitt is that even when they have good years, they always have those games where they stumble and should win. Yes, the NC State game was a disaster, but so far, Pitt has gotten past some of the other games they might have lost in other years such as UCONN or Rutgers. If I had tried to predict the record at this point in the season, I probably would have said 6-2. That's not far off from 7-1, but it's HOW they've won that's been surprising. They've been dominant on both sides of the ball other than that nagging secondary problem that showed up a few times and really look tough to beat a times. I don't think any Pitt fan saw that coming - especially after the 3-0 bowl loss last year.

That one loss came to a 3-5 NC State team. What happened?

Well, as I mentioned above, Pitt always seems to have these types of games. They seem to lose games they shouldn't and probably win some they shouldn't as well. Pitt had a 14-point lead fairly late into the third quarter and imploded from there. The NC State quarterback played really well in the second half of that game our secondary was really off. To date, he was the best quarterback they faced and they struggled mightily to get pressure on him. He not only threw for over 300 yards but had about 100 yards rushing and Pitt never really could get a good handle on him. The defense also couldn't stop the big play. I think Pitt gave up something like 10-12 plays greater than 20 yards and had some stupid penalties to keep drives going as well. Offensively, Pitt just lost their inability to move the ball. Five of their last six possessions ended in punts or a turnover on downs.

Had Pitt not gotten to 7-1 at this point in the season, it might not have been that surprising. But the fact they've played so well since then makes it that much more difficult to understand. That loss gets more painful with each win that's come as the reality is that Pitt would likely be a top ten team at this point had they managed to hold onto that lead.

What has been the secret to Pittsburgh's success of offense this year? Defense?

Offensively, the secret has been balance - much more than I've seen in watching Pitt for about 15 years now. They've had excellent running backs in the past with Lesean McCoy and Kevan Barlow, but never had the passing game to complement it. Alternatively, with Larry Fitzgerald, the running game wasn't as strong as it could have been. Now, they have that ultimate mix of one of the top running games in the country and a quarterback, playing well, and more importantly, not making mistakes. Dion Lewis is good - make no mistake about it. But I have no question that he's been able to be as effective as he has because defenses can't simply stack eight in the box to stop him. A big part has been the playcalling of new Offensive Coordinator, Frank Cignetti. He's really used the tight ends well, evidenced by Dorin Dickerson's nine TD receptions and had a steady mix of run vs. pass.

Defensively, it's been the front four in my opinion. Pitt has put pressure on the quarterback without having to blitz all that much. It's rare for a team to blitz as little as Pitt does to lead the nation in sacks per game, which is what they do. That really frees up the linebackers to help out in pass coverage or get to running backs going to the outside. The secondary has had its share of issues, but has quietly played better as of late, even as the competition's gotten harder. I think it's a matter of just getting more comfortable.

What have the Panthers been working on with the bye week? And do you worry that's too much time to sit around with a trap game possibility ahead?

In other years, I think the bye week could hurt them with a trap game coming up. But they really have gone out of their way this week to say how they're not looking past it. Just about every team will say that, but I think it's true in this case, partially because of the NC State game. This team can have a really special season if they keep their focus and help get the team to that next level. If they were 5-3 at this point, I'd be much more concerned. Not to say this game doesn't scare me a bit, but I don't think Pitt will lose because of effort. If they do stumble in this game, and here's a novel concept, Syracuse will have to outplay Pitt. I'd be really surprised if Pitt doesn't come out to play - especially at home.

The local papers have mentioned that Pitt is working hard this week to keep it's passing game in sync and I think that's where the focus is for them this week, at least offensively. Defensively, it's still got to be in the secondary to avoid the lapses they've had early on this year. Yes, I'm sure Pitt expects it to be a little easier without having to deal with Mike Williams, but you could make the argument that they should be even more focused as Greg Paulus will likely be spreading the wealth a bit more, keeping more guys involved.

Dave Wannstedt. You pleased? Jury still out? Just love the mustache?

I'll take the most important part of your question first - Dave Wannstedt is one of the few people who can still kind of pull of the only mustache look.

I was not a big Wannstedt fan these past few years. I always thought he was a good recruiter and good 'people person', but wasn't sure if he was the right guy to lead this program. But after seeing not only the recruiting, but the results on the field, I've done a complete 180. There may be a time when that changes, but for now, it's hard to argue with his success. Going back to that statement game beating West Virginia on the road at the end of 2007, Pitt has been 17-5. Even his most fierce detractors have to be at least somewhat on the bandwagon at this point.

That said, I do think the jury is still out at this point if you take him by his word of what he wants to accomplish, which is to get Pitt back in the national spotlight among the best of the best. Pitt has been able to put together two strong years (at least to this point), but they've not yet gotten to 10 wins and have not been to a BCS bowl under his reign. That may change as early as this year, but Pitt still has a lot of work to do to accomplish his goals.

If I told you Pittsburgh would win the Big East but you won't beat West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl, would you be okay with that?

Absolutely. I may be a little different in my line of thinking, but I'd rather lose to West Virginia ten years in a row if it meant winning the conference every year. No Pitt fan wants to lose to West Virginia obviously, but it's about the big picture. People may pretend like rivalry games are the only thing that matters, but I would be a little surprised if fans would start giving up conference championships to beat a rival. If you take out the Big East implications saying that it would have been nice to see someone from our conference play for a national championship, why was the 2007 win for Pitt fans especially nice? Because it kept West Virginia from competing for a championship. That's the only reason you play. Oh, and don't forget that many people still have more of a hatred for Penn State than West Virginia, but that's another topic in itself.

Texas: Beyond the Box Score Preview

Bill C. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:30:15 -0000

Saturday night Missouri plays in what could possibly be the last game of the regular season in which they are the underdog (unless Kansas avoids a tailspin). What kind of upset chances do the Tigers have? What do the stats tell us are possible opportunities (and serious threats) for our most losable Homecoming game in quite some time? To the numbers!

Offense

Texas: 2009 Beyond the Box Score Preseason Offensive Preview

As you'll see, I've made the switch from raw Sack Rate figures to the schedule-adjusted Sack Rate+ ratings. These numbers still have a bit of a small sample size issue, meaning that the highs and lows for each category are more extreme than in other categories. For instance, Auburn is #1 in Offensive Sack Rate+ with a rating of over 400--rarely will you see a rating of over 200-250 in most categories. Keep that in mind when you see Missouri's really low Defensive Standard Downs Sack Rate+--it's bad, but it's not quite as bad as the number you see.

Texas Offense vs Missouri Defense
Category	UT Offense	MU Defense
Close S&P+ (Rk)	120.5 (21)	121.6 (25)
Close Success Rate+ (Rk)	119.7 (12)	107.6 (39)
Close PPP+ (Rk)	122.4 (31)	143.1 (16)

Rushing S&P+	124.2 (18)	101.3 (66)
Passing S&P+	116.3 (36)	143.4 (15)

Standard Downs S&P+	129.0 (7)	116.3 (26)
Passing Downs S&P+	124.4 (29)	115.7 (34)

Red Zone S&P+	117.2 (44)	94.0 (77)

Q1 S&P+	131.4 (23)	100.5 (63)
Q2 S&P+	126.7 (25)	154.0 (8)
Q3 S&P+	151.3 (6)	100.7 (56)
Q4 S&P+	118.7 (30)	120.4 (23)

1st Down S&P+	143.4 (5)	116.0 (31)
2nd Down S&P+	121.7 (26)	113.8 (35)
3rd Down S&P+	120.5 (29)	111.0 (40)

Line Yards+	99.3 (72)	104.5 (54)
Close Sack Rate+	147.3 (27)	85.7 (84)
Standard Downs / Passing Downs Sack Rate+	164.7 (27) / 137.0 (38)	49.3 (106) / 91.0 (70)

Analysis after the jump.

Let's start with where Missouri has the rankings advantage:

Close PPP+
Passing S&P+
Q2 S&P+
Q4 S&P+
Line Yards+

To win this game, Missouri must defend those rankings, first and foremost. They have been one of the better teams in the country in terms of not giving up big plays (PPP+), and that must continue. Their "allow the short passes and tackle well" approach has worked for the most part, and that must continue. They get stronger as the half moves on, and that must continue. Texas simply has not run-blocked very well this year, and Missouri must take advantage of that.

Other thoughts:

Here are the categories where Texas holds the biggest advantage: Rushing S&P+, Red Zone S&P+, Q1 S&P+, Q3 S&P+, 1st Down S&P+, Standard Downs S&P+. While Missouri must maintain the advantages they do have, they also need to minimize the damage done here. Early-half stops. Big-time run support from the likes of Sean Weatherspoon, Will Ebner, Aldon Smith, etc. Figuring out some way, any way, to get pressure on Colt McCoy on 1st Downs and not allow him to get off quick pass after quick pass.

Quarterback

Can Colt McCoy possibly approach his 2008 numbers in 2008? I say no, and I have one major reason why: Texas actually did better on Passing Downs (1.01 S&P) than Standard Downs (0.97 S&P) in 2008. Think about that. They were a better offense on 3rd-and-7 than 2nd-and-4. That makes no sense, and while I don't have enough year-to-year data to show what happens to teams with disproportional success like that, how in the world can you maintain that?

In a lot of ways, this disproportionality reminds me a lot of a baseball measure that has significantly grown in popularity recently: BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play). Over time, most players and pitchers produce roughly the same BABIP. It can vary depending on the ratio of ground balls to line drives and fly balls, but over time, most BABIP will regress to the mean of around .290. When a pitcher gives up a BABIP of .350 or .220 one year, it's probably pretty quickly going to revert back toward .290. Therefore it can be used to spot flukes, seasons that were particularly good or bad depending on whether ground balls tended to sneak between 3B and SS or go straight at a defender.

To me, disproportional success on Passing Downs might end up being a lot like BABIP in picking up on some amount of fluky success. Texas certainly had a good offense no matter what in 2008, but I think it may have been a little too good to maintain in 2009. Especially considering McCoy will be playing without two major third-down bailout options, Chris Ogbonnaya and Quan Cosby, I'm thinking Colt may end up having a year where Texas struggles at times, and there's no clear explanation why (kind of like when you're hitting a ball hard, but right at the shortstop). A few more 3rd-and-7 passes fall incomplete, and the Texas offense could slow down in a hurry.

Colt McCoy: 156-for-223 passing (70.0%), 1,537 yards (6.9/pass), 11 TD, 7 INT; 48 rushes, 91 yards (1.9/carry), 1 TD

Last season, Texas ranked 24th in Standard Downs S&P+ and 2nd in Passing Downs S&P+. So far this year, they are up to 7th in Standard Downs S&P+, but only 29th in Passing Downs S&P+. Has McCoy regressed? Did he somehow become less "clutch"? Doubtful. Granted, Texas' offensive line probably isn't the best in the conference, but I still think Texas' struggles (and "struggles" is used loosely here--29th in Passing Downs S&P+ is nothing to scoff at, though McCoy's already thrown 7 interceptions this year after only throwing 8 last year) are most explained by simple regression to the mean. All in all, McCoy's numbers are absolutely respectable--70% completion rate, almost seven yards per pass, etc.--but human. Regression to the mean was the single biggest reason I didn't think McCoy had a chance at this year's Heisman (his chance was last year, when almost everything went right), and so far I've been proven correct on that one. Of course, he could complete 80% of his passes and throw for 350 yards and 4 TDs a game from here on out, and he could still win the big trophy...but I doubt it.

Running Back

The Longhorns have a host of talented-yet-flawed athletes in the backfield. Cody Johnson is an awesome short-yardage back, but can he see every-down success? Can Fozzy Whitaker stay healthy enough to live up to the massive promise seen by Burnt Orange Nation readers over the last couple of years? Can Vondrell McGee, UT's most well-rounded overall back, assert himself a bit more in 2009? Can any number of other highly-recruited options break into the rotation?

Vondrell McGee: 46 carries, 260 yards (5.7/carry), 2 TD; 8 receptions, 37 yards (4.6/catch)
Tre' Newton: 41 carries, 203 yards (5.0/carry), 3 TD; 3 receptions, 21 yards (7.0/catch)
Fozzy Whittaker: 23 carries, 121 yards (5.3/carry), 2 TD; 6 receptions, 24 yards (4.0/catch)
Cody Johnson: 29 carries, 104 yards (3.6/carry), 5 TD; 2 receptions, 13 yards (6.5/catch)
D.J. Monroe: 17 carries, 91 yards (5.4/carry)

Gosh, what torture Mack Brown must go through trying to figure out ways to find carries for five different running backs. Makes you feel sorry for him, huh? Right now, the amalgamation of Texas' five main backs, "Vozztre' Monson," has put together a workmanlike 156 carries for 779 yards and 12 TDs. That's 5.0 yards per carry and 130 yards per game...for the season, that would be roughly what LeSean McCoy produced for Pittsburgh last year. Plus, Vozztre Monson has one luxury that McCoy did not--extra limbs. In case a shoulder or ankle or knee gets injured, he has plenty of other sets upon which to fall back.

Texas' running game will lull you to sleep--nobody here averages over six yards per carry (for comparison, Alabama's Mark Ingram is currently averaging 6.7 per carry, Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams 6.0), but they are quite efficient, and even though they've gotten little contribution from McCoy so far, the run game ranks in the nation's top 20. They're doing something right, even if they don't have any one guy as good as someone like Jamaal Charles.

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

If Texas can replace Quan Cosby's reliability (and Brandon Collins--10 of 12 third-down catches moved the chains--looks like he could be up for the challenge), then this receiving corps could be one of the best in the country. Jordan Shipley returns for his 17th year (what? only his 6th?), and the rest of the depth chart is simply littered with big-time recruits. Malcolm Williams awed everybody in the country with his 91-yard touchdown catch at a key moment against Texas Tech, but he only caught 19 passes all season. Dan Buckner passes the eyeball test...but only caught five passes. With Cosby gone, it is time for at least a couple of these guys to become reliable, every-down receivers.

WR Jordan Shipley: 51 catches, 605 yards (11.9/catch), 3 TD
WR Dan Buckner: 29 carries, 333 yards (11.5/catch), 4 TD
WR John Chiles: 22 catches, 177 yards (8.0/catch), 2 TD
WR James Kirkendoll: 20 catches, 198 yards (9.9/catch), 1 TD
WR Marquise Goodwin: 14 catches, 127 yards (9.1/catch), 1 TD
WR Malcolm Williams: 8 catches, 84 yards (10.5/catch)

TE Greg Smith: 3 catches, 22 yards (7.3/catch)

Where would this team be without Jordan Shipley? He's the only main Texas receiver averaging over 11.5 yards per catch, and he has caught as many passes as the Longhorns' #2 and #3 receivers combined. No offense to the guy (hey, did you hear he roomed with Colt McCoy?), but I kind of wish the NCAA hadn't given him an extra year of eligibility after his 17 career injuries. Kinda wish they'd inflicted the John Dausman "Yeah, you tore up your knee twice and missed 1.9 full seasons, but your team just isn't important enough for us to care about you too much...but you better not do anything illegal, because we need to throw the book at somebody for USC's violations" ruling at him*.

(* Yeah, that was a little bitter. I need to get better at letting things go. Dausman was a senior in 2000, and he really wasn't even that great. Shipley is exactly who the sixth-year exception is made for, and just ignore me because I'm a bitter person.)

Anyway, there has been a bit of a revolving door at WR for Texas, with plenty of people getting an opportunity at the "McCoy's #2 guy" role and nobody completely accepting it. For this game, it appears that the main shots will go to speedy Marquise Goodwin and huge Malcolm Williams. Goodwin scored UT's only touchdown against OU, and Williams has the single highest fear-induced-to-actual-production ratio in the country. Opposing fans are petrified of this guy, and justifiably so (I mean, did you see the catches he made against Missouri and Texas Tech last year??)...but in his first season and a half on the depth chart, Williams has caught a total of 25 passes, or six fewer than Missouri's Jared Perry has caught this year alone. But somehow, he really is terrifying, and you just hope he waits until next week to wake up.

Offensive Line

So here's something interesting: while Texas is known for signing as many four-star recruits as they can stomach, of the four returning starters on the offensive line, three--Hall, Ulatoski, Tanner--were 3-star recruits. Now, Missouri has proven that there's nothing wrong with loading up on 3-stars, but there isn't quite as much high-end talent here as in most units for the Longhorns, and it possibly showed last year. While Colt McCoy was one of the nation's best QBs, and the UT receiving corps was Top 15, the line struggled, both in run-blocking (64th in Line Yards+) and pass protection (59th in Adjusted Sack Rate). For those who follow recruiting rankings, there is a silver lining for the 'Horns, as Michael Huey, Tray Allen, David Snow, and Mark Buchanan were all given at least four stars by Rivals (Allen was a 5-star), so there is decent depth of talent here, and if this unit can do its job a little better, maybe McCoy won't have to come through on nearly as many Passing Down situations.

Compared to last year, Texas' sack rates have improved quite a bit...and their run-blocking has gotten worse. With the line yardage figures, a line is punished if backs dance too much or are not aggressive enough hitting holes, so as I do when talking about Missouri's own line yardage figures, I wanted to make sure that disclaimer was mentioned. That said, this does appear to be one area where Missouri matches up well. We can talk about how disappointed we are that the athletic end trio of Aldon Smith, Jacquies Smith, and Brian Coulter haven't gotten to the quarterback more, but they have been stout in run support, and Missouri's front seven might be able to stand up pretty well to the Texas running game, especially if Will Ebner is anywhere near 100%. Love that guy.

Overall, the key to stopping McCoy will be doing whatever you can to force mistakes out of him. Missouri has not been great at forcing turnovers, but that will need to change, and if you can leverage a team into enough Passing Downs, the turnovers seem to flow out a lot easier. That means stopping the run, that means batting passes down, and that means tackling well after short passes (and if the receivers' per-catch totals mean anything, they will absolutely throw short).

---

Defense

Texas: 2009 Beyond the Box Score Preseason Defensive Preview

Texas Defense vs Missouri Offense
Category	UT Defense	MU Offense
Close S&P+ (Rk)	138.9 (11)	98.1 (75)
Close Success Rate+	128.6 (9)	98.2 (78)
Close PPP+	154.6 (12)	98.9 (78)

Rushing S&P+	187.1 (1)	87.0 (101)
Passing S&P+	122.6 (26)	106.9 (64)

Standard Downs S&P+	139.4 (6)	102.3 (68)
Passing Downs S&P+	157.8 (6)	97.5 (75)

Red Zone S&P+	164.6 (7)	61.9 (119)

Q1 S&P+	144.9 (13)	102.6 (71)
Q2 S&P+	171.5 (3)	93.9 (84)
Q3 S&P+	123.5 (24)	114.9 (42)
Q4 S&P+	158.0 (5)	101.7 (72)

1st Down S&P+	132.4 (17)	101.9 (68)
2nd Down S&P+	147.1 (11)	107.2 (59)
3rd Down S&P+	199.4 (1)	92.5 (88)

Line Yards+	252.4 (1)	91.9 (94)
Close Sack Rate+	100.2 (60)	170.1 (17)
Standard Downs / Passing Downs Sack Rate+	88.9 (75) / 133.3 (30)	171.3 (24) / 138.5 (37)

Let's once again start by looking at where Missouri holds the statistical advantage:

Close Sack Rate+
Standard Downs Sack Rate+

Aaaaaaaaand that's about it. So in the name of maintaining the advantages they have, Missouri must make sure that Blaine Gabbert does not face much pressure. Sergio Kindle becomes an extremely scary presence on Passing Downs (just ask Taylor Potts), but before Missouri can worry about that, they have to protect and make sure that Gabbert sees as little pressure as possible on the downs in which running and passing are of equal likelihood.

Other thoughts:

If Missouri can get ANYTHING WHATSOEVER out of the running game, I will be thrilled. That is the single biggest difference in rankings between the two teams (that, and the heavily-related Line Yards+). If Missouri is going to win this game, Derrick Washington absolutely has to find the fifth gear he misplaced sometime early last year. We know what D-Wash can do, but he hasn't done it in quite a while.
Texas gets better with each progressive down, from 17th on 1st downs, to 11th on 2nd, to 1st on 3rd. That puts significant pressure on Missouri to get yards on first down. If it doesn't come from the running game, it has to come with short passing. Andrew Jones needs to pretty quickly find a cure for invisibility because he could be very useful here.
As I've mentioned before, the truest signal of a young team is lack of success on third downs and Passing Downs. Missouri has predictably struggled here, and it will be quite a task to suddenly improve against the best defense they will face this year. Here's where Missouri's play-calling and effort will need to be at their A+ level. The coaches will need to deftly put players in the position to succeed, and the players will have to take advantage of it. Rocket science, I know.

Defensive Line

The main man in making sure UT's QB pressure doesn't drop in 2009 isn't even on the list above. That, of course, would be hybrid LB/DE Sergio Kindle (14 TFL, 10 sacks), listed below in the LBs list. He will be the main rush end, I think, in passing situations. Along with Kindle, it's probably time for former 5-star recruit Eddie Jones to make his move. In 13 games last year, he managed only eight tackles in backup time, though five went for loss (he also added 5 QBH, but I'm starting to think that Texas statisticians were VERY liberal in their interpretation of what constitutes a "hurry"). If he can become a reliable force alongside Kindle and Sam Acho, Texas should be just fine. If he doesn't, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will be looking toward Dravannti Johnson and maybe stud true freshman Alex Okafor to provide the lacking pressure.

DE(ish) Sergio Kindle: 20.0 tackles, 7.0 TFL/sacks, 2 FF, 1 PBR
DE Sam Acho: 19.5 tackles, 7.0 TFL/sacks, 4 FR, 8 QBH, 2 PBR
DT Lamarr Houston: 17.0 tackles, 6.0 TFL/sacks, 2 FR, 17 QBH, 2 PBR
DT Ben Alexander: 13.5 tackles, 4.0 TFL/sacks, 1 QBH

If this team had nobody named Kindle or Acho, it would be much less intimidating. Kindle (DE/LB), Sam Acho (DE), and Emmanuel Acho (DE) have combined for 22 TFL/sacks, five forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries. They are the disruptive force in Will Muschamp's defense. Meanwhile, Lamarr Houston and Ben Alexander have both made a strong number of plays for DTs--not the Ndamukong Suh level of plays, but a lot. Man for man, this is probably a better line than what Missouri faced against Nebraska, which is a scary thought...though the field should be dry, which can't hurt.

Linebackers

Whereas the D-line had headliners and great stats, the Texas linebackers (sans Kindle) were probably a bit overshadowed in 2008. But when a defense is equally great at stopping the run and the pass, some of that is going to be because of a good LB corps, and that reflected well in my LB rankings. Kindle and fellow 2009 seniors Roddrick Muckelroy and Jared Norton were extremely steady in 2008, and there's no reason to expect otherwise in 2009. Muckelroy only had four TFLs and didn't really play a role in forcing many turnovers, but he was UT's main tackler, racking up 112 (71 solo). There is little experience behind this trio of seniors, but Keenan Robinson and Tariq Allen were both 4-star recruits--they'll probably be alright in 2010...or at least 2011.

Roddrick Muckelroy: 30.5 tackles, 6.0 TFL/sacks, 7 QBH, 5 PBR
Keenan Robinson: 20.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL/sacks, 3 PBR
Emmanuel Acho: 20.0 tackles, 8.0 TFL/sacks, 3 FF, 2 FR, 3 QBH
Dustin Earnest: 9.5 tackles, 1.0 TFL/sacks, 1 QBH

Aside from Kindle and the Achos, this front seven is steady and fast...and that's all they need to be. It seems like Roddrick Muckelroy has been playing for the Longhorns for nine years now, and he brings a nice, steadying force to the UT defense, allowing others to take more chances.

Secondary

If there's an area of aimed-for improvement in this unit, it comes in the form of interceptions--they only snagged six in 2008. In landing the #3 ranking, they benefited from the fact that my rankings don't place heavy emphasis on turnovers. They covered and tackled well, but one thing that can help out the Texas offense--one that I'm still saying might struggle more than expected thanks to their disproportionate success on Passing Downs--is by setting up some short fields and easy points. These are mostly 3- and 4-star recruits with a growing amount of experience, so it wouldn't be shocking to see a secondary that was a liability just a couple of years ago, suddenly forcing quiet a few turnovers and turning into the single best unit on the team.

S Earl Thomas: 22.5 tackles, 2.0 TFL/sacks, 5 INT, 1 FF, 9 PBR
CB Curtis Brown: 21.5 tackles, 1 FF, 10 PBR
CB Aaron Williams: 19.5 tackles, 4.0 TFL/sacks, 1 INT, 2 FF, 2 QBH, 2 PBR
S Blake Gideon: 19.5 tackles, 2 INT, 2 PBR
CB Chykie Brown: 15.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL/sacks, 1 FF, 1 QBH, 7 PBR

When you've got such a good defensive line and scary front-seven athletes, your secondary is almost guaranteed to look good as well--QBs will be making more hurried throws, RBs won't be breaking wide open into the secondary, etc. That said, it really is starting to appear that the Longhorns secondary that was a liability a couple of years ago has rounded into a helluva unit, at least in terms of playmaking ability. They rank only 26th against the pass, compared to Missouri's 15th-ranked pass defense, but they have also intercepted ten passes, eight more than Missouri. In a game which Missouri cannot win without winning the turnover battle, it does appear that Texas has the edge here.

Special Teams

Hunter Lawrence wasn't asked to do a ton last year--less than one FG attempt per game--but he did well in the limited opportunities, missing just two kicks all year. He and John Gold form a pretty damn solid kicking unit, even if neither was needed much in 2008. Jordan Shipley had a clutch kickoff return touchdown against Oklahoma, just as it looked like OU was about seize control of the game (UT had just gone down 14-3 when he broke loose), but the rest of the year he was only solid at KR's, not spectacular. Same with punt returns, where he ripped off a 45-yard touchdown in one return and managed only 19 yards in five others. It wouldn't surprise me to see Malcolm Williams become a force in kickoff returns, but overall this is a solid unit either way. Not as good as OSU's, but definitely in the upper half of the Big 12.

Punt Returns Rank: 15th (Jordan Shipley: 16 returns, 16.4 average, 2 TD)
Net Punting Rank: 74th (Justin Tucker: 21 returns, 39.5 average)
Kickoff Returns Rank: 2nd (D.J. Monroe: 9 returns, 42.7 average, 2 TD)
Opponents' Kickoff Returns Rank: 77th (22.1 yards/return)

Field Goals: 12-for-14 (Hunter Lawrence)
PATs: 30-for-31

Hunter Lawrence is a strong kicker, and Justin Tucker is a decent enough punter, but they don't really matter. For Missouri to win, they will also have to win the special teams battle, and that is a tall task thanks to UT's return game, which has produced four return touchdowns in six games. Jordan Shipley's punt return TD against Texas Tech gave the Longhorns some breathing room while their offense struggled, and Texas only led Colorado by ten when another Shipley return iced the game away. Knowing Missouri's past strategies against strong kick returners, expect a lot of short, pop-up kicks. Hopefully Tanner Mills is pretty good at them...assuming Missouri has quite a few opportunities to kick off, ahem. And after a down week in Stillwater, Jake Harry IV will need to go back to being Missouri's secret weapon. His rugby kicks and epic rolls have been key to Missouri winning field position battles this year, and while there's no way Missouri intentionally kicks directly to Shipley, the rolls still have to go in our favor...they had all year until the OSU game.

---

Three Keys to the Game

The Bomb

Missouri has enough to worry about already--they simply must prevent big plays on defense. Texas hasn't generated too many of them this year, and they are still leading the country in scoring offense (granted, a lot of that has come against bad defenses, and a lot of points have been scored via the return game, but still). If Malcolm Williams catches a bomb, or if Fozzy Whittaker suddenly lives up to the hype and love Burnt Orange Nation has showered upon him for a while now, Missouri is dead meat. Despite all I said above about how the front seven must perform, really the safeties--Jasper Simmons, Kenji Jackson, Jarrell Harrison, Hardy Ricks--could be the most important players on the field for Mizzou on Saturday.

First-and-10

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for the Missouri offense to generate yardage on first downs, and for the Missouri defense to prevent them. That's it. Chart the first downs on Saturday night--whoever does better will win the game.

The Turnover

Again, not rocket science. Missouri outgained Oklahoma State last week, in terms of both yards and EqPts. And yet they lost by a comfortable margin because of the -4 turnover differential and -19.4 turnover points margin. Colt McCoy has proven willing to throw at least a pick or two, and while I love how well this defense has reacted to the play at hand and prevented big plays, you do figure they might have to both take some risks to force some turnovers. Overall, despite McCoy's seven picks, Texas is still +5 on the year in turnover margin. Missouri is -2. They will need to flip that around to have a chance. Sean Weatherspoon was Missouri's "Go force a turnover" guy last year, and now would be a pretty good time to make his presence felt, no?

Prediction

As I've mentioned multiple times this week, the monsoon game seems to have skewed both Missouri's and Nebraska's numbers, and due to that, the numbers project a nailbiter, Texas by 0.3. Being that I always go with the numbers, we'll say that means Texas 24, Missouri 23. That said, I'm pretty queasy about that. There is absolutely a path toward Mizzou winning this game--protect the ball and pick off a couple of passes, move the ball on first down (via air or ground, don't care which), punt well, tackle well, don't get burned deep. It's the recipe for winning any game, really, but with Blaine Gabbert's ankle not at 100%, and with Missouri's most-defined weakness (offensive line) meshing perfectly with Texas' biggest strength (defensive line), there's plenty of reason for pessimism here.

Texas is far from unbeatable--in my opinion, they're pretty far from the team they were just last year. But in a graduation- and injury-depleted Big 12, the road ahead of them is still quite maneuverable, and if Missouri or Oklahoma State doesn't knock them off, I don't know who will. I've been pretty down about Missouri's chances in this game--like I've said before, my main goals here are to not get anybody else hurt and make sure all the moving pieces start to come together for a five-game winning streak after this game--but this is college football, and anything can happen. Missouri is a fast, strong, super-young team, and teams like that experience pretty disparate highs and lows. Hit a high-note on Saturday night, and they can claim Gary Pinkel's first win over OU or Texas. If not, make sure not to lose your spot on the bandwagon. It will start filling up again when the team gets hot later on.

Official Dawg Sports Glib and Flippant Conference Championship Forecasts

T Kyle King — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:38:29 -0000

Each autumn, on the eve of football season, I like to take a stab at picking the winners of the various conferences, as well as offering a few oddball predictions. I will revisit all of these in January to see just how well or poorly---all right, how poorly---I did in forecasting the events of the 2009 campaign. Here now, I offer you my league championship prognostications:

Sun Belt: I decided not to hold you in suspense. Why save the best for last? I’m going with the Florida Atlantic Owls. They’re the ones with Howard Schnellenberger, right?

Mid-American Conference: I’m going with the Michigan Wolverines. I kid, I kid; everybody knows the Maize and Blue aren’t good enough to win the MAC! The Toledo Rockets return a wealth of experience and the coaching change should dramatically improve the team, which I’m picking to win the MAC. Unless, of course, I’m confusing them with the Akron Zips. . . .

Major Independents: Does it look like 1946 in here? There are no major independents remaining in college football. Next, please. . . .

Conference USA: I think the announcement of Brett Favre’s latest return from retirement will give the Southern Miss. Golden Eagles just the encouragement they need to close the deal and win the conference title.

Western Athletic Conference: Derek Dooley is building a program in Ruston, Pat Hill should have his Fresno St. Bulldogs back in contention, and Chris Ault’s Nevada Wolf Pack looks strong with seven starters back on each side of the ball, but the league belongs to the Boise St. Broncos until they lose it. Chris Petersen’s club is like a junior varsity version of Southern California being viewed on a television set with all the colors out of whack (or, I suppose, out of WAC).

Big East: None of the above. All right, since it has to be somebody, I’m sticking with the Pittsburgh Panthers, who are poised to fill the power vacuum left when the Louisville Cardinals lost Bobby Petrino, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights lost Mike Teel, the West Virginia Mountaineers lost Pat White, and the Cincinnati Bearcats lost their entire starting defense. (All right, they have one guy back, but still . . .) Although no one is getting through the league unscathed and multiple tiebreakers are apt to come into play, I believe Pitt will overcome the loss of LeSean McCoy, a trio of Friday night conference road games, and the ignominy of being coached by Dave Wannstedt. Yeah, this pick is crashing and burning, isn’t it?

Atlantic Coast Conference: The one off-the-wall prediction I’ve been making all along in which I actually have confidence is that the Clemson Tigers are poised for a first-place finish in the ACC. The Country Gentlemen have settled on a quarterback, who will benefit from playing behind an experienced offensive line and being able to hand off to C.J. Spiller. Dabo Swinney salvaged a sorry season for the Jungaleers last year, getting the Fort Hill Felines to the Gator Bowl. While Coach Swinney wasn’t the marquee name many among the Orange and Purple faithful wanted, he has the pedigree for success by the shores of Lake Hartwell: Dabo Swinney is the fourth Alabama alum promoted from assistant coach to head coach in the modern history of the Clemson program, and the three who came before him were Frank Howard, Charley Pell, and Danny Ford. The Tigers will win the Atlantic and/or Coastal Division and they will defeat the Virginia Tech Hokies, winners of the Coastal and/or Atlantic Division, in the conference championship game in Jacksonville and/or Tampa and/or Charlotte and/or Baltimore and/or Boston and/or Atlanta and/or Washington, D.C. For crying out loud, could these people get their act together, already?

Mountain West: The Utah Utes will take a step back after last year’s unbeaten run and the BYU Cougars’ stature as a prime time player took a serious hit last year, when Bronco Mendenhall’s squad lost double-digit outings against Texas Christian, Utah, and Arizona in the postseason. The Las Vegas Bowl committee can relax, secure in the knowledge that Sin City won’t be hosting a team that considers drinking a cup of coffee an act of moral turpitude; the TCU Horned Frogs are ready to reclaim the Mountain West with their fifth eleven-win season in a seven-year span.

Big Ten: The Penn St. Nittany Lions have learned how to win again, the Iowa Hawkeyes should field a stout defense, Mark Dantonio has the Michigan St. Spartans moving in the right direction, and the Illinois Fighting Illini can’t go wrong with a tight end named Mike Hoomanawanui. Yeah, whatever. The Ohio St. Buckeyes will finish first in the league and earn the honor of losing a BCS bowl game for their troubles.

Pac-10: The California Golden Bears are loaded, the Oregon Ducks have built a solid (if horribly garbed) program, the Oregon St. Beavers are always feisty, the UCLA Bruins are on the upswing, and the Arizona Wildcats are improving. Yeah, whatever. The USC Trojans will lose to someone they shouldn’t and win the Pac-10, anyway.

Big 12: I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the winner of the Red River Shootout will represent the South Division in the league title tilt! That would be the Texas Longhorns, who will defeat the Oklahoma Sooners in Dallas and capture the conference crown by beating some team from the Big 12 North that might as well be pulled out of a hat. Hang on . . . I happen to have a monkey with a dart board right here . . . and he likes the Nebraska Cornhuskers to get the honor of being hooked by the ‘Horns. Let’s go with that.

Southeastern Conference: The Georgia Bulldogs, of course! Except . . . no, not really. The Florida Gators will face the LSU Tigers in the Georgia Dome and the Sunshine State Saurians will get the better of the Bayou Bengals for the second time this season. Trust me, I’m not any happier about this fact than you are.

There they are, ladies and gentlemen . . . my ill-informed, knee-jerk, doomed prognostications concerning the upcoming football season. I’m confident of being dead wrong on at least half of that, but I leave it to you to tell me which half. Where have I hit the nail on the head and where have I missed the boat? Feel free to unmix my metaphors and correct my misconceptions in the comments below. In the meantime, I’ll be preparing my specific forecasts for the fall, which should be coming your way tomorrow.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Football Outside of the Big Ten - The Big East

Bama Hawkeye — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:05:46 -0000

From time to time, it's important to look outside the Big Ten and remind ourselves that there is football being played by other teams in other conferences. The Rivalry, Esq. continues its look at those other conferences with the league that better be watching its back, the Big East.

The Big East survived the ACC raids and found itself thriving in the new college football landscape. In the 2005 season, West Virginia stunned SEC Champ Georgia in the Sugar Bowl (played in Atlanta, no less). In 2006, West Virginia, Rutgers and Louisville played some of the most compelling football games of the season. If not for the biggest kick in Rutgers history, Louisville, not Florida, would have played for the national title against Ohio State. In 2007, South Florida was ranked as high as number two in the country, and West Virginia needed only to beat a weak Pitt team in their finale to play Ohio State for the MNC. Pat White got hurt, and the Panthers sprung the upset. The Mountaineers still crushed the Big 12 Champion Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl.

But last year, the league seemed to take a step back. It's not that the league was bad. It just didn't have an elite team. In fact, the case could be made (and was made) that team-for-team, the Mountain West had surpassed the Big East. It certainly had at the top. So the question remains, is there a team that can dominate the league and be discussed for a national title, or is it another year of a solid conference without an elite team?

Greatest QB in Big East History? I'll say yes.

The Rivalry, Esq. has already looked at these conferences:

Sun Belt MAC Independents WAC

Conference USA Mountain West

1) 2008 Recap

a. Who Won the League?

The Cincinnati Bearcats came out of nowhere to finish with a 10-2 (6-1) record and their first Big East crown. They all but locked up the title with a 28-21 win over Pitt at Nippert Stadium.

b. Games of Note

The Big East champion Bearcats showed the distance between Big East Champ and Big XII Champ during their 52-26 loss at Oklahoma. West Virginia lost a game at Colorado that they should have won, but turned around and beat Auburn (which pretty much ended the Tommy Tubberville Era on the Plains). Pitt and Syracuse both scored dramatic victories over Notre Dame in South Bend.

One of the wins took longer than the other.

c. Games Against the Big Ten

Shonn Greene won the RB-battle against LeSean McCoy, but Pitt won a close victory over the Hawkeyes. Syracuse looked bad in both of their games.

Date	Big East Team	Score	Big Ten Team	Score	Location
August 30, 2008	Syracuse	10	Northwestern	30	Evanston, IL
September 13, 2008	Syracuse	13	Penn State	55	Syracuse, NY
September 20, 2008	Pitt	21	Iowa	20	Pittsburgh, PA

d. Bowl Games

The Bearcats didn't seem too over-matched by Virginia Tech, but they also didn't seem to be of the same caliber in their 20-7 Orange Bowl loss. In the five other Big East bowl games, the Big East had four winners: UConn pummeled Buffalo 38-20 in the International Bowl, Rutgers won the Papa Johns's Bowl 29-23 over NC State, South Florida crushed Memphis 41-14 in the St. Petersburg Bowl, and West Virginia defeated North Carolina 31-30 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. The West Virginia win would be Pat White's fourth bowl win as a starting quarterback.

Donald Brown was really good and got far too little attention.

Meanwhile, Pitt faced Oregon State in a Sun Bowl that left Verne Lundquist crying for the SEC game of the week. 3-0, the Beavers won on a second quarter field goal. Dave Wannstedt tried a 58 yard field goal rather than go for it with two minutes left and the Panthers facing a 4th and 8 at the OSU 41 yard line. That pretty much sums up Dave Wannstedt (says this life-long Bears fan).

2) 2009 Preview

a. Games of Note

Pay attention to West Virginia and South Florida. They'll say a lot about the Big East. The Mountaineers play two games against mid level teams from the SEC and Big XII. They can win both. Will they? The Bulls travel to Florida State and host Miami. Winning either of those would be huge.

Date	Big East Team	Opponent	Location
September 12, 2009	UConn	North Carolina	East Hartford, CT
September 19, 2009	West Virginia	Auburn	Auburn, AL
September 19, 2009	Cincinnati	Oregon State	Corvallis, OR
September 26, 2009	South Florida	Florida State	Tallahassee, FL
September 26, 2009	Louisville	Utah	Salt Lake City, UT
October 1, 2009	West Virginia	Colorado	Morgantown, WV
November 14, 2009	Pittsburgh	Notre Dame	Pittsburgh, PA
November 28, 2009	South Florida	Miami	Tampa, FL

b. Games Against the Big Ten

Syracuse coach Doug Marone gets welcomed into the Big Ten before he ever sees the Big East.

Date	Big East Team	Big Ten Team	Location
September 5, 2009	Syracuse	Minnesota	Syracuse, NY
September 12, 2009	Syracuse	Penn State	State College, PA
September 19, 2009	Syracuse	Northwestern	Syracuse, NY
November 28, 2009	Cincinnati	Illinois	Cincinnati, OH

c. Bowl Affiliations

The Big East alignment stays the same as last year. My guess is that the Big East team will be the last one selected by a BCS bowl, which would land them in the Sugar Bowl. A Big East bowl team will go to the Gator Bowl...unless Notre Dame finished with 7-9 wins. In that case, they won't be good enough to go BCS, but they'll be eligible to be picked over the second place Big East team. The Papa John's Bowl now selects an SEC team (if available) instead of a Conference USA team to face a Big East squad.

3) 2009 Projections

a. Who Will Win the League?

No one knows. Seriously, this is the most uncertain league in the nation. Pittsburgh seems to have the most talent coming back, but they also have Dave Wannstedt as coach. West Virginia has the biggest shoes to fill; will someone step up at quarterback? South Florida has been unable to take the next step. Cincinnati has lost a ton from their champs from last year. Rutgers no longer has Mike Teel at QB. Louisville is intriguing, but I'm not gutsy enough to push them all the way to champs. Connecticut and Syracuse are not up to the level of the other teams. So who do you pick? How do you pick?

I'm going with the best offensive and defensive lines, but I've got to be honest. This is a pick against the field more than a vote for the Scarlet Knights. I would bet that the league champ, whether it be Rutgers or someone else, has at least three losses and will be the subject of at least five "The Big East doesn't deserve a BCS Bid" articles.

b. Any Wins Against the Big Ten?

Syracuse is now playing a game short of half of a Big Ten schedule. I don't see them winning any of these. If they snag one, it will likely say a lot more about their opponent than the Orange. Or, Greg Robinson was just that bad.

Michigan, this is your new defensive coordinator.

I like the Illini, but Illinois better be careful. It's always tough to go out of conference after the Big Ten season has concluded, and a young Bearcat squad should have a good idea as to what they're doing by November.

c. Who Goes Bowling?

I'm putting Rutgers in the Big Easy. I think that Notre Dame is a BCS team, which means that Pitt goes to the Gator Bowl. West Virginia goes to Birmingham to play an SEC team in the Papa John's Bowl; Louisville (who takes a couple of big steps forward this year) heads to Charlotte to face an ACC squad in the Car Care Bowl. South Florida returns to the St. Pete's Bowl (and complains about it), while the Bearcats head north to the International Bowl.

Somebody who hopes these predictions are accurate.

d. Any MNC Hopes?

It's not that it can't happen; it's just that I don't see the team capable of doing it in 2009. Louisville was an offsides penalty away from the 2006 BCS Championship game. West Virginia was a Pat White injury away from the 2007 game. So it can happen, but I don't see the Big East team that can do it this year.

e. The Rivalry Notes

This is a question posed to one of the site's founders that relates the conference at hand with the Big Ten. Graham Filler is up again...

Would Penn State be in a better or worse place if in 1993 they joined the Big East instead of the Big Ten?

Worse. 3 words: continuity, longevity, cash. Penn State could have been the Big East's 9th team and ensured the in-conference continuance of "rivalries" that weren't really rivalries (West Virgina? Penn State leads 48-9-2 all time. Temple? Hasn't beaten PSU since WWI. Pitt? Nice game, but not close in the 1980's). Instead, the Nittany Lions chose a conference with schools that are generally happy to be where they are and a cash cow TV deal. In comparison, the Big East offered more upheaval, crowded/tiny football markets, and less opportunity to create a national brand.

One ironic thing...If PSU had joined the Big East and Miami (FL) and VT had made their eventual departure, PSU would be complaining that their weak conference schedule is causing them problems in the national spotlight. This is, of course, similar to what happened last year...in the Big 10. So some things are unavoidable.

Quotable: Eagles at minicamp

JasonB — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:42:11 -0000

More photos » by Bradley C Bower - AP

Philadelphia Eagles rookie running back LeSean McCoy, left, confers with teammate Brian Westbrook, right, at the team's the first mini-camp. (AP Photo/Bradley C Bower)

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Rookie RB Lesean McCoy found himself a little starstruck standing in the huddle with Brian Westbrook & Donovan McNabb.

"Playing next to Westbrook, that's all weird, man," McCoy told reporters. "Watching him on TV, seeing him on the games. Then you're at camp with him. And being in the huddle with McNabb, it's crazy, man," he said.

Speaking of being a little starstruck, Cornelius Ingram felt it when he walked by Donovan McNabb's locker.

"I walked by it pretty slow and then I turned around and walked past it again,” said tight end Cornelius Ingram, the fifth-round pick out of Florida. "I think one day he will be in the Hall of Fame.”

Donovan McNabb has chosen not to address the media at minicamp. Andy Reid seemed to think eventually McNabb would hold a press conference.

"He’s done a great job, at least he did today and he has over the last ten years of leading this football team. That to me is very important, that he continues to do that and obviously somewhere he’ll talk to you along the line here. I haven’t really talked to him about that, but somewhere he will talk to the media.”

Shawn Andrews was asked whether his brother was upset that he was moved from RT to RG to make room for Shawn.

"(Stacy) has no hard feelings about it," Shawn Andrews said. "He's excelled at guard. The team didn't say if he was going to play guard or tackle when he first came here, so this is where he is and he's excited to get on the field when he does."

Shawn also said that he's been looking forward to playing tackle the whole offseason.

"I was definitely looking forward to playing left tackle,” said Shawn Andrews, sporting a Mohawk. "This whole offseason, I was taking left tackle sets and it felt very natural. It was a very natural feeling that I got just putting my hand down on the left side. I don’t know if that had anything to do with me being left-handed or not but it definitely felt natural.”

Eagles notes - 23 year streak ended, Maclin & McCoy's impact, Jaws is feeling good

JasonB — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:16:21 -0000

More photos » by H. RUMPH JR - AP

7 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles draft picks wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (1) and running back LeSean McCoy (2) pose for photos Sunday, April 26, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/H. Rumph, Jr.)

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Jack McCaffery of the Delco Times says that this draft was better late than never.

And in the NFL Draft of 2009, Andy Reid gave Eagles fans exactly what they wanted —- exactly what they wanted five years ago. It’s the Eagles’ way; it’s Reid’s way. Slow and lost on any logical timetable. Late, but in this particular case, better than never.

This time —- after so, so many failed championship attempts —- the Eagles had the inspiration to be aggressive and acquire touchdown-makers. That was what they did over the weekend. They proved to be aggressive. And they secured touchdown-makers.

He also pointed out that it has been 23 years since the Eagles drafted offensive skill position player with their first two picks.

Also from the Delco Times Bob Grotz says it's "now or never" for Reid and McNabb

Considering the overhaul the Eagles have undergone in the offseason there are no more excuses for Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb. If the head coach and his franchise quarterback don’t lift the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the 2009 season, their 11th together, it’s time to turn the page. If no job is safe, as the coaches and players always say, anything short of the Super Bowl means upper management owes Eagles fans the ultimate change. Reid has the team he wants. McNabb has more weapons than he has ever had, at least on paper. Both should be motivated, since their contracts are up in 2010. More than ever, they need each other.

While guys like Leonard Weaver and Jason Peters should make an instant impact, it's a little unfair to expect Maclin and McCoy to immediately step in here and make big contributions. By all accounts Desean Jackson, who came out of a pro style offense at college, is the exception rather than the rule as far as rookie WRs go. While I do expect Maclin to play and do some exciting things this year(esp in the return game) he's not going to start and it's too much to expect him to repeat his tremendous college production just yet.

Since RBs typically take less time to acclimate to the NFL, we're probably more likely to see an instant impact on offense from him. Still, he will only be a backup. The important thing to remember here is that both of these guys are just 20 years old. There's loads of potential there, but let's not heap unrealistic expectations on their rookie seasons just yet.

For a little optimism, we turn to none other than Jaws!

"We tend to forget they went to the NFC Championship Game last year. I look at this team right now . . . it's a better team than the one that walked off the field after losing to Arizona." said Jaworski

Can anyone deny that this is a better team than last year? Not only with the upgrades but with the fact that Brian Westbrook finally had surgery to clean out the knee that has been othering him for the last several years. There is a question of leadership with the loss of Dawkins, but talent wise this team is superior to the one that finished last year.

McNabb speaks on newest additions

JasonB — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:16:55 -0000

View full size photo »

There's probably no person whose thoughts I've been more interested to hear about the draft and the offseason than Donovan McNabb's. Finally Mcnabb has broke his silence on his Yardbarker blog. He talked for a while about what he's been up to personally, but then got down to football talk.

You'll notice that I am ready to move forward. I'm the first to admit that you must learn from your failures, I also believe that you cannot change the past. It's time to focus on the future.

As with every minicamp since I've been in the league, I'm excited about meeting my new teammates, getting to know them and working together on the field. We now have a lot of new, young skill position players and it will be exciting and interesting to see how they become acclimated to what we do here. If they can come in here and take their game to the next level, they will be productive pros and we can achieve great successes together. I want to welcome the new rookies and am excited to get to work with them.

I haven't taken the time yet to welcome some of the veteran free agents to the team. I'm looking forward to working with a new set of bookends on the o-line. Stacey Andrews and Jason Peters are young, athletic and physical. They will help in both the passing and running game. The same can be said for fullback Leonard Weaver. As for the additions on defense - Ellis Hobbs, Rashad Baker, and Sean Jones - I can't wait to see how Jim Johnson uses all the talent he has at his disposal.

I want to congratulate all the newcomers and let them know that I am excited to be working with them and taking the first step towards moving forward and getting something accomplished.

I love this guy and I love that probaby has more weapons now than at any point in his career. I just hope he stick around long enough for the likes of Jeremy Maclin, Shady McCoy, & Cornelius Ingram to really mature into reliable every down threats. Maybe that will be this year... who knows?

Eagles 2009 draft wrap-up

JasonB — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:22:32 -0000

More photos » by H. RUMPH JR - AP

7 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles draft picks wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, left, and running back LeSean McCoy Answers questions from reporters Sunday, April 26, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/H. Rumph, Jr.)

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The 2009 draft is over. While it is the centerpiece of the NFL offseason and a great event... by the time it does end you find yourself very much grateful to see it go. It's two long, long days.

- The Eagles draft pretty much started with the mega trade that sent their #28 overall pick and a 4th rounder to the Bills for pro bowl LT Jason Peters.

- The Eagles first actual draft pick came after they traded up 3 2 spots to grab WR Jeremy Maclin 6'1, 200lbs from Missouri.

- The Eagles shored up a need in the second round with the selection of 5'11, 210lb RB Lesean "Shady" McCoy from Pittsburgh.

- The Eagles then made a series of trades that saw them drop down in the 3rd round and then out of it in a trade with the Saints. They picked up an extra fifth rounder and a third rounder next year in the process.

- The Eagles would then make yet another trade, but this time they netted an actual player by sending two 5th round picks for New England Patriots CB Ellis Hobbs.

- The Eagles would make three picks from #153 to #159 in the fifth round, the first being 6'4 245lb TE Cornelius Ingram from Florida. ESPN's Todd McShay called Ingram the "best pick of the fifth round."

- The first defensive player selected came at #157 overall, 5'11 CB Victor "Macho" Harris from Virgina Tech.

- At #159 the Eagles grabbed 6-6, 330lb OT Fenuki Tupou from the Oregon Ducks.

- The Eagles then traded their 164th overall pick to the Saints for a seventh rounder this year and the Saints fifth rounder next year.

- With the 194th overall pick the Eagles took their fourth skill position player, 6-1 WR Brandon Gibson from Washington State.

- In the 7th round the Eagles would turn their attention back to the offensive line with the selection of OG Paul Fanaika from Arizona St.

- The Eagles final pick would also be the second defensive player taken, 223lb OLB Moises Fokou.

With the 53rd overall selection the Eagles take RB Lesean McCoy

JasonB — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:08:00 -0000

More photos » by H. RUMPH JR - AP

7 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles draft pick running back LeSean McCoy answers questions from reporters Sunday, April 26, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/H. Rumph, Jr.)

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Drew Rosenhaus' smiling face just flashed on the screen as he put an Eagles hat on Pitt RB Lesean McCoy.

The Eagles continue to load up on offensive skill positions with the selection of exciting Pitt RB Lesean McCoy. McCoy was a TD machine at PItt with 35 TDs the past two years. Last year he scored 21 TDs and rushed for just under 1,500 yards.

Mocking the draft scouting report

5'11, 210 pounds | Pittsburgh | Running back

Strengths: McCoy is a good all-around back who has the speed and shiftiness of a good back and plus receiving skills for the position. McCoy's best tool is his quickness. He uses it bust a run outside or inside without losing speed. Played mostly in one-back formations, which forced him to follow blockers or make space with his moves. An exceptional cut-back runner. Good hands in the receiving game. Also knows how to run good routes and will be an asset on screen passes.

Weaknesses: Needs to get stronger. McCoy often tries to go off tackle instead of just charging up the middle to get the tough yards. Has to hold the ball tighter to avoid fumbling. Likes to cutback a lot but doesn't have the greatest quickness so this area of his game may translate poorly to the next level. Has to be taught how to block better.

Final word: McCoy is a shifty and strong running back. Although he maybe should have returned for his senior year, he can start in the NFL immediately. Easily the top player in Pittsburgh's offense, McCoy often saw eight-man fronts and still excelled. Strong receiving skills will make McCoy a sound every-down back.

Round projection: 1

Jason Cole of Yaho sports was sitting next to us and remarked, "That's a nice pick. I like that better than Moreno for where it is."

I talked to another NFL beat writer and asked why Drew Rosenhaus was spending draft day with Lesean McCoy. He said that McCoy was his top guy in this draft and that Drew doesn't really go after college guys anymore.

SB Nation - LeSean McCoy

Dion Lewis: A Tremendous Challenge

Oh, Right, We Play Pittsburgh On Saturday

Texas: Beyond the Box Score Preview

Offense

Quarterback

Running Back

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

Offensive Line

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Defense

Defensive Line

Linebackers

Secondary

Special Teams

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Three Keys to the Game

Prediction

Official Dawg Sports Glib and Flippant Conference Championship Forecasts

Football Outside of the Big Ten - The Big East

The Rivalry, Esq. has already looked at these conferences: Sun Belt MAC Independents WAC Conference USA Mountain West

1) 2008 Recap

a. Who Won the League?

b. Games of Note

d. Bowl Games

2) 2009 Preview

a. Games of Note

b. Games Against the Big Ten

3) 2009 Projections

a. Who Will Win the League?

b. Any Wins Against the Big Ten?

d. Any MNC Hopes?

e. The Rivalry Notes

Quotable: Eagles at minicamp

Eagles notes - 23 year streak ended, Maclin & McCoy's impact, Jaws is feeling good

McNabb speaks on newest additions

Eagles 2009 draft wrap-up

With the 53rd overall selection the Eagles take RB Lesean McCoy

The Rivalry, Esq. has already looked at these conferences:

Sun Belt MAC Independents WAC

Conference USA Mountain West