Observations on the Hula Bowl

[Box_O_Rocks]

Quarterback:

They sucked.

Runningback:

P.J. Daniels RB 5-11 210 Georgia Tech. hit the hole quickly and ran well, he also ran pass patterns out of the slot with one catch. P.J. Pope RB 5-10 216 Bowling Green caught the ball well out of the backfield and the slot, he also ran well - they ran him on a halfback option where he made a good decision to throw the ball away instead of forcing it upfield like most running backs.

Wide Receiver:

Brandon Marshall 6-6 230 Central Florida (6-6 on the roster, also listed at 6-4 depending on where you look) was dominating against CBs from Iowa and Fresno State. He beat jams off the line using stutter steps and power. He made grabs after getting seperation, and by adjusting for the ball and making the grab sandwiched between two defenders. No fades or jump balls. He did draw one offensive pass interference, though I’ve seen the same ignored often enough in NFL games. He can learn. The announcers mentioned conversations with three scouts who listed him as the most interesting player from the practice sessions. Did I mention the QBs sucked? Maurice Avery 6-1 216 Memphis made one catch adjusting for an underthrown ball, broke a tackle, gained some yards, and got out of bounds in the two minute drill.He also got open another couple times and was missed by his QBs.He had a great block on the CB to spring RB P.J. Pope working out of the slot on a flare pattern for a nice gain. The announcers reported Avery started at WR to begin the season and was moved to QB for the last four games (inlcuding their bowl game) after Memphis lost two QBs for the season. Ed Hinkel 6-0 190 Iowa worked hard to get open, his QBs just couldn’t find him. Damarius Bilbo 6-2 224 Georgia Tech made one nice hands grab on a quick slant, he’s a former QB converted to WR leading to 40 catches this season, once he made the commitment to play WR.

Tight End:

Bob Dockerty 6-5 260 Wisconsin-Oshkosh had some good blocks, including a nice block on Gerald Anderson 6-2 320 Georgia. Jeff King 6-5 248 Virginia Tech had a couple decent blocks too. The lousy QBs did nothing to help any of them in the passing game.

Offensive Tackle:

Guy Whimper 6-4 310 East Carolina looked decent at LT and LG, he could be a G or RT. Todd Londot 6-7 308 Miami (OH) was shakier at LT, but did well at LG (he played C at Miami). Richard Collier 6-7 345 Valdosta State did well at RT, he stayed with his blocks and got better as he adjusted to the speed of the 1-A and 1-AA opposition. Donald Penn OG/OT 6-5 305 Utah State supposedly looked good in practice to the scouts, he reportedly has good mechanics, but he didn’t hold up well in the game. Possible Dante fodder for his program.

Offensive Guard:

Matt Lentz 6-5 308 Michigan was solid at RG.

Center:

Jason Palermo 6-3 310 Wisconsin led the only line that was dominating with Londot and Whimper taking turns at LG/LT, Lentz RG, and Collier RT. Palermo showed good awareness and mobility in the middle.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Defensive Tackle:

Gerald Anderson 6-2 320 Georgia was dominating inside and showed good hustle. He was a load for the blockers. Larry Dibbles 6-2 285 Texas was very strong, making plays and disrupting the offense. He bull rushed Lentz to knock down a pass and was very aggressive. Titus Adams DT 6-4 300 Nebraska showed up a few times soaking up double teams.

Defensive End:

David Tollefson DE 6-4 255 Northwest Mo. State made some great plays, though there was one time when he kept outside contain but was unable to get back inside to make the tackle. Brent Hawkins DE 6-2 240 Illinois St. has been trained by the son of Dwight Freeney’s coach and was a powerful speed rusher off the edge with several hurries and a sack. Jeremy Mincey DE 6-4 265 Florida also was strong off the edge with good containment and three credited sacks. John Syptak 6-2 250 Rice was listed as an ILB, but lined up at DE and did a decent job. Any of these ends could be candidates for 3-4 LB with some work.

Linebacker:

Tim Dobbins ILB 6-1 245 Iowa State looked good on a couple early plays, but disappeared for the rest of game, possibly injured. Corey Mays ILB 6-1 240 Notre Dame was consistent play maker through the game. These are the only two LBs marginally in the weight/size range of Patriots’ LBs. The smaller backers never stood out in coverage to be considered for STs or a SS conversion option.

Cornerbacks:

Khalid Naziruddin CB 5-10 186 Texas Tech showed up on one play and may have done more, couldn’t see with the camera angles. Jovon Johnson CB 5-9 180 Iowa grabbed an interception on a poorly thrown pass and was put on Brandon Marshall a lot. Marcus King CB 5-11 195 Missouri also grabbed an interception on a poorly thrown ball, he also wound up on Marshall and was the one covering him on the offensive interference call. Any of these may turn into decent reserves with good coaching.

Safety:

Most were too light for SS, with the Pats’ depth at FS, none really caught my eye.

 

[dryheat44]

But how did the quarterbacks do?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

But how did the quarterbacks do?

Sorry, I should have been clearer, sadly their play was so poor I blocked them out of my thoughts. Who knew poor play at one position, and arguably the most critical, would make the whole team look like crap, Peyton?