I've got almost the entire spring game on videotape and some shots of the guys after the
game. For all of you that could not be there, hopefully, there will be some streaming
video for you to download/play later this week. The footage is fairly amateur but it
will be FREE. As for the crowd of 5k yesterday, not bad on an ugly and chilly day. The
home side was packed while the visitor side had some empty patches.
I think db, cush, and some others did a very nice job with some summaries and tidbits
but I'll share some of my impressions for you as well:
1. The Bosnian Tornado looked really good on 2-3 of his 40+ yd FG attempts and I believe
he even kicked off one time for a touchback. It should be said that he had the wind at his
back in all of the above circumstances. Berin is very excited to be on this football team
and was constantly patting guys on the helmet and getting excited after making his kicks,
etc. One time, he walked by Chaney and put his hand on Chaney's gut and started chuckling.
2. Jameson Evans is a SOLID possesion receiver. It's safe to say he's maybe 6-2 but not the
6-4 as had been reported with inconsistency over the years but he leaps up to get the jump
ball real well in traffic (on a 23 yd TD pass) and his hands were sticky on at least 5
grabs. I hope he can build off this game going into fall practice.
3. Like Evans, Noel had his moments as a possession receiver yesterday. I thought he might
be more of a gamebreaker type by now. He's definitely bulked up in my opinion, has strong
legs like a running back. If Evans and Noel can provide the consistency seen yesterday,
Orton will put up some HUGE numbers in the fall.
4. I thought Orton slung the ball with excellent precision for most of the crimmage, but
his mobility is a major red flag. It seems like he was sacked too often yesterday. Then
again, in these intrasquad games, the positive of that is that our def ends were kicking
ace. Unlike boilrfan, I thought Kyle's arms looked a little bit stronger and that there
is evidence of his weight training in the off season. He could use a trim for the loaf.
5. As far a weight gain goes, John Standeford has not made any progress. I've got footage
to prove it. He did make an awesome one hand stab in traffic though.
6. Kyle Smith may be quicker than Brandon Hance. He really scrambles well and at times he
showed he's a very capable passer. Still, he's far behind Orton in making the right reads
in my opinion.
7. Brandon Jones had a very nice catch down the field (after a fake handoff misdirection),
and powered through the tackler for extra yardage.
8. In general, we had the screen plays that were missing last year in the offense yesterday.
The best one of the game was perfectly set up to Montrell Lowe and he scooted 3/4 of the
field for a very long gain. That may be the longest play I've ever seen out of Montrell
and it was impressive how he followed the blockers. Montrell had a nice red zone TD also.
9. Charles Davis is as huge as advertised and showed he is a great target to have in our
lineup. It still appears to me that he has not mastered the concept of lowering his
shoulder and bulling over some would be tacklers. Both he and Rhinehart make for much
more versatile TE's than we've had in the past at Purdue. They both block, run routes
well, and make the catch nicely.
10. Bobby Iwuchukwu had a nice game at LB and showed off his footspeed.
11. Huddleston is going to be a good one, the instincts (a la STU) are certainly there.
12. Saw OT Pat Oxley and "he's tall". Grad Asst Coach Chad Brown says he will be a very
good one at Purdue, he saw him at summer camps last year. Also in attendance was WR Jeff
Samadizja who I did not see personally.
13. Chris James elicited sighs and groans early but for some reason he kepts getting open
down the field. Maybe no one trusts him to make the catch but he sure burned STU and crew
back there late in the game. It was nice to see Seth Morales and his family hugging and
high fiving Chris after the game. Maybe, just maybe that was the jolt that gets Chris
playing like the 2000 Outback Bowl game when he was stellar.
14. Jon Goldsberry had a nice short kick off return going where he was dragging the pile
but Jacob Rowe picked his pocket. Based on his pile driving, I'd hope he gets some more
opps at fullback in the fall.
15. The LB trio of Niko, Odom, and Landon Johnson should be the best in the Big 10. Those
three are incredible to watch side to side as they plug the gaps.
16. Anthony Chambers may not be 6-1 but he was all smiles after the game. He really seems
to be enjoying his new home at Purdue. His Red Zone TD was a well executed route but I was
hoping to see him get open a bit more downfield and get some opps to make a big play.
17. The Antwan Harris Int and misreturn was very funny indeed. On the video, the guys are
really razzing him when he comes to the sideline, it was like a synchronized team pointing
in the direction they were going (as a reminder).
18. Joey Harris made a nice catch or two in the flat and had a sharp 10 yd TD run where he
got through some arm tackles.
19. Jerod Void looked tentative on his sore ankle and never got untracked. Like Lowe,
Harris, and Jones, he also has the very strong legs so between the four I expect to see
more broken tackles this year.
20. Shaun Phillips and Doug Swann were coming off the corners with serious speed. I don't
want to say we will miss Akin but I think we will be okay with these two, Vedran, Nesfield,
and Grover.
21. Taylor Stubblefield was quietly efficient yesterday.
22. My biggest concern is still the offensive line, especially given Orton's mobility
(I don't see the depth at Tackle at all). Second biggest concern is the lack of a serious
speedster at WR. Chris James gets open deep but his hands are still an issue. I'm praying
that Ray Williams will be an impact burner at WR. Vinny had his moments his freshman year
if I recall.
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