FanPost

CMU game thoughts from 19-AA

James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

We did what we needed to do. That about sums it up.

  • Beautiful day and good, solid crowd. Due to the outcome being decided by halftime, maybe half-full for the second half. We stuck it out til about 6 to go.
  • Thankfully, we did not attempt a traditional run game - I love the motion/receiver-based ground game, both because of the state of our o-line and because it gets our WR's more touches.
  • Thomas managed the game well. I can even deal with the pick - bad decision/ball, but a good play by the defender, and almost as good as a punt since it was well downfield. That said, I cannot envision a situation whereby the job is not Mitchell's when he returns - from the 3 series we saw from him, there's just no comparison.
  • Defense was a little slow off the mark, particularly the pass rush. In the end, they did their job - just a bit unspectacularly. Great pick by DJ... almost great pick by Burris (and he had a LOT of grass in front of him if he'd caught that as he reversed field).
  • Love the pick by Spencer in the end zone - great fight for the ball - it was starting to feel a little bit like a game that might be in question again - then that pick, followed by the 80-yard bomb, ended it mercifully.
  • Shadrach looked great - glad to see him get some more touches. Creecy looks like the 3rd man out, and I can't argue with the decision.
  • Not sure why Rashard wasn't returning kickoffs. I'd put him back there unless we are trying to protect him from the high-speed collision.
  • I can't help but notice a palpable difference in the energy on the sidelines vs previous years. The guys are forming up in groups, jumping around, getting each other fired up.... it looks completely different. It seems to flow straight from the coaches, who are equally engaged and excited. Seemingly at the head of the sideline cheerleading is EITHER Brissett or Mitchell - one of them was in street-clothes, whipping the guys up into a frenzy from start to finish. (I'm sorry - from where I was, I couldn't tell which guy it was - whoever it was is damned BIG for a quarterback, though - from the stats, they're virtually identically sized.) So whoever that guy is, I can't wait to get him (back?) on the field.

Overall, a good, solid day for the Pack.