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Football
Jersey Scrimmage Rumblings
By Tony Gerdeman

The number one thing that I am going to take away from the jersey scrimmage is my extremities, because it got so cold for a while that I was afraid I was going to lose them.

The second thing that I am taking away from the scrimmage is that this defense is far from decimated.

The third thing I'm taking away from the game is a new appreciation for the stocking cap.

Those are the main points that I wanted to get across to you.

Here are some others...

The Offense:

The phrase "the tip of the iceberg" gets thrown around a lot, but where it concerns the offense, today Coach Tressel only displayed the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg. There weren't really any option plays. There was virtually no downfield passing, though the quarterbacks rarely had time to look. And with Troy Smith wearing a black "no contact" jersey, he basically played with two legs tied behind his back.

Quarterbacks:

Troy Smith - He was hampered by having to play two-hand tap (actually "one-hand tap" bordering on "no-hand tap") against the defense. He wasn't very accurate today, and he admitted that he didn't have a very good game. Of course, most series saw rotating quarterbacks, so there's really no way to gain a rhythm. The thing that separates Smith from most other quarterbacks is his ability to pick up the 3rd down with his feet. That was pretty much eliminated once he pulled the black jersey over his head.

Justin Zwick - Zwick made a couple of nice throws, but for the most part his passes were low and behind the receivers. There isn't a lot to say about the quarterbacks. In fact, these last two sentences were complete filler.

Todd Boeckman - Boeckman also made a couple of nice throws and showed good mobility during his all-day chase from the defensive line. On one such scramble for safety, defensive tackle Todd Denlinger chased Boeckman to the sideline where linebacker Chad Hoobler hit him late and out of bounds and subsequently received a 15 yard personal foul. Say what you want about Boeckman, but one way or another he keeps the drive alive. Though if he continues to do it in that manner, keeping the drive alive may be a secondary concern.

Rob Schoenhoft - Every time I've seen Schoenhoft, I've been impressed by his mobility in the pocket as well as out of it. You only need to watch him throw once or twice to know he has an arm, but his mobility isn't always as apparent. Today he had several sidesteps to avoid the rush and actually showed an ability to get around the corner like Craig Krenzel used to.

Running Backs

Maurice Wells - Wells started with the first team offense and looked very impressive running between the tackles. He looks to be more adept at finding the holes. He has also gotten noticeably stronger, even moving a pile or two. The coaches will find ways to get him involved come September.

Chris Wells - Wells fumbled two or three times on the day, and I'm sure that that's what the coaches are going to focus on with him. Aside from the fumbles (as if there were such a thing), Wells looks the part of a prototypical big back. He had a couple of lengthy runs. One being about 25 yards and another of about 37 yards. The latter got called back, but it was still impressive because it showcased Wells' ability to get to the corner and get by those that wish to do him harm. Where Wells excelled was falling forward. Most of the time, because of his strength and momentum, he would gain an extra yard before giving in to the defense. He may not have any 80 yard runs this season, but he is a guy that can be given the ball eight straight times on a drive and be responsible for 80 yards the hard way.

Erik Haw - Haw had the run of the day with his 71 yard touchdown. The run started to the right, and as soon as he got through the defensive line, he cut back to his left. He avoided three or four guys, got to the sideline and outraced defensive back De'Angelo Haslam, who had the angle. He is also adept at falling forward and getting an extra yard where he can.

Stan White Jr./Dionte Johnson - The fullbacks weren't really a giant part of the offense today. There was some I-Formation, but not a ton. They weren't really involved with the ball and were mostly out there to block and wave their arms in the flats.

Receivers:

Ted Ginn - Ginn didn't play a huge role in the offense today, only having a few catches. He did run an end around in which he threw a pass--it wasn't a shining moment for Ginn. Ginn did get behind the defense on a few quarterback scrambles, but due to the wind, the quarterbacks were unable to connect with him.

Anthony Gonzalez - Gonzo had a great touchdown grab, snagging a high hard one from Troy Smith in the end zone. On the catch, however, Gonzalez got concussed and his day was pretty much over.

Brian Robiskie - I have Robiskie in this slot over Roy Hall simply because he played before Roy Hall did. Don't read anything into it. Unless you want. If you ask Troy Smith, he'll tell you that there may not be a better set of hands on the team than Robiskie's. The thing that Robiskie does better than anybody is that he can catch the nine-foot high 84 mph fastball in traffic and not get destroyed while doing it.

Roy Hall - Hall was mixing in with the ones and twos throughout the game. You know what you're going to get with Roy. He's going to catch the ball and look to physically dissuade a tackler. The one play that keeps coming to mind regarding Roy was not a good one for him, however. He ran a sideline pattern, but dropped the ball. As he did so, Jamario O'Neal unleashed the fury that some strong safeties are wont to do. He put Hall on the ground right in front of the defense and the defense exploded in "good jobs" and "way to go's"...or something to that effect.

Brian Hartline - I'm guessing Hartline was the leading receiver, as he worked with the twos and threes. He just has a knack for finding the open spaces and getting the ball. He does leave himself open for some nice hits from the defense, but he showed some toughness today by bouncing up quickly and jogging back to the sideline. I was hoping to see Hartline thrown to down the sideline, but there were virtually no deep passes thrown that didn't involve a defensive breakdown.

Albert Dukes - Dukes was also working with the twos and threes. He had a nice grab of about twenty-five yards in between the safety and corner on the sideline.

Rory Nicol - Nicol was working with the ones, but I don't recall him with many touches. The one interesting aspect of the tight end play was that they were lining up out wide in three-receiver sets. He also was able to keep his blocks long enough to allow the running backs to get by him when necessary.

Marcel Frost - Frost was with the twos and had a couple of catches. Nothing spectacular. He also lined up wide several times.

Offensive Line:

Steve Rehring - Rehring started with the ones at left tackle. It was not his best day, but then again, he was a left guard a few days ago. The defensive ends were in the backfield all day long, if that's any indication. Of course, the line as a whole was pretty patchwork, as T.J. Downing was the only first teamer in his normal position.

Alex Boone - Boone was the 2nd team left tackle. He was hot and cold. There were instances when he was keeping his man ten yards away from the quarterback. There were also instances where he wasn't. I'm guessing he's been through a lot this week and that may have hampered his performance today. He and Todd Denlinger got into a little shoving match during the scrimmage, as Boone showed a bit of a mean streak today.

Jim Cordle/Tyler Whaley - There were bad snaps galore today. In a day of makeshift offensive lines, the defensive line came out victorious.

T.J. Downing - Downing was fine today. He did do some talking, however. At one point in the scrimmage, and with his offense trailing, Downing, who was taking a series off, spotted Rob Sims on the opposite sideline hanging out with the defense. Downing yelled at Sims asking him what he was doing over there. Sims pointed up at the jumbotron and responded with, "Scoreboard."

Tim Schafer - Schafer started at right tackle today. As was mentioned earlier, the defensive ends and rush linebackers were wreaking havoc all day.

Jon Skinner - Skinner played quite a bit today and rotated in with the ones and twos.

The Defense:

Well, the defense may have lost nine starters, but the returning guys are just as mean and just as angry. And just as fast. They also looked to be more focused on creating turnovers. The defensive line won the game today, but they had some help from the secondary. There weren't too many guys beating the defensive backs. In fact, they only let receivers get behind them maybe four or five times, and those were mostly on broken plays and scrambles. There are a lot of quality players vying for only a few spots. I think it's safe to assume that whoever wins the jobs, will be sufficiently qualified to be dubbed "Silver Bullets".

Defensive Line:

Alex Barrow - After today, this is the new address on the front of Alex Barrow's ValPak coupon book:

Alex Barrow
The Backfield
Columbus, OH 43210

Barrow has a relentless knack to get by his man and send the quarterback in search of safety. And when he didn't get by his man, it was usually because his jersey was being grabbed. Barrow was working with the ones today and he should be expected to be in the immediate rotation come September.

Vernon Gholston - Gholston was also with the ones today, and played the part. He put pressure on both Zwick and Smith. He looks completely healthy and ready to contribute in a big way in 2006.

Lawrence Wilson - Wilson didn't play very much today, and didn't do so until late. It looked like he was having problems getting loose. I can't say that I blame him, I'm still a little tight and I've been inside for about six hours now.

Jay Richardson - Richardson was yet another defensive end that had a good game. In fact, I don't believe there was anybody on the defensive line that had a "bad" game. In fact, Richardson won the game when he blocked Ryan Pretorius' 58 yard field goal attempt on the last play of the scrimmage.

David Patterson - Patterson christened the scrimmage with a quick sack on Smith. That kind of set the tone for the rest of the game.

Quinn Pitcock - Did not play.

Joel Penton - Penton was his typical self. Solid. Reliable.

Todd Denlinger - He was working with just about all of the teams today. And he made plays no matter who he was matched up against. He was held a couple of times. He frustrated the linemen constantly. He seemingly impressed the coaches so much that he was in on the final drive of the scrimmage.

Nader Abdallah - Abdallah surprised me today. He was in the backfield several times. He was mixing in with the twos some and the threes mostly.

Juan Garnier - When everybody is asking, "Who's 96?", that's gotta be a good thing, right?

Linebackers:

Anthony Schlegel - That's "Coach Schlegel" to you. He was helping the linebackers down on the field. Schlegel was resplendent in his sweatpants, flannel and boots. Oh, and headset.

Marcus Freeman - Freeman was relatively quiet. He was relaying the defensive calls. He worked mostly on the weak side, but also some in the middle. He did knock David Patterson out of the game while both were going for a tackle. To me, it was the hit of the game.

John Kerr - Kerr started with the ones in the middle. He had several "perfect" tackles, where he met the ball carrier head-on and stopped them where they stood.

James Laurinaitis - Laurinaitis was the other starter. He also dropped down to rush end on passing downs. Later in the game, he also played some middle linebacker.

Curtis Terry - Terry was working with the twos mainly, and some with the ones. Look for that to continue. He was all over the ball today. People talk about defenders coming to the ball with bad intentions, I bet even Terry's good intentions will push you down the stairs. When he hit the ball carrier, he stuck to them and took them to the ground. He can deliver a hit. Just ask Chris Wells, who fumbled due to one of Terry's intentions.

Ross Homan - If you're okay with the new jerseys and want to beat everybody to the punch, go get yourself a 51 jersey. Homan was with the twos today, working the weak side. He also played the middle and baited a quarterback into an easy pick. He had several tackles that had the sidelines jumping. He also had a nice collision with Chris Wells, though Chris won that battle. Consider it a freshman reenactment of Bo Jackson over Brian Bosworth, but this time there was no touchdown and Bosworth actually got the tackle. And if you don't believe me, the next time you see Troy Smith, ask him what he thinks about Homan.

Larry Grant - Grant started out with the threes, but mixed in with the twos throughout the scrimmage. He reminds me a bit of Curtis Terry right now, but he still has a ways to go. But he's only been here for a little bit, so there is a learning curve. Grant also played some rush end and was, at times, unbelievably fast around the edge. He is also a deliverer of bad news to the ball carrier. He makes sure they get the message.

Chad Hoobler - Hoobler was working with the twos and threes. He was the second middle linebacker in. He was also working outside. His most (in)famous play was the personal foul on Boeckman mentioned above.

Austin Spitler - Spitler was working with the threes, though I don't recall him making too many plays. Don't take that as a harbinger of things to come, however, because Troy Smith didn't make too many plays today, and we all know what he's capable of.

Cornerbacks:

Malcolm Jenkins - You didn't really see Jenkins involved in too many plays today. That's a good thing.

Antonio Smith - Smith was with the first team today, and he looked good. He reminded me of a poor man's Antoine Winfield with dreads. He had some very nice tackles today.

Andre Amos - Amos was working with the twos. He had some stiff hits today as well. He also had an interception on a Boeckman scramble. Boeckman, who apparently thought Albert Dukes was going to be able to get out of his curl quicker than he did, threw it right to Amos. He does not appear to be a corner that shies away from contact. He seems to look for it.

Donald Washington - Washington was also with the twos to open up. I don't really recall too much stuff going his way, either.

Kurt Coleman - Coleman was with the threes. He made some nice plays. He had some nice hits as well. If he's the fifth best cornerback on this team, you should smile.

Mike Roberts - If Freeman had the hit of the day, Roberts had the tackle of the day. While he was covering Brian Hartline, Hartline caught the ball and as soon as he did, Roberts was on him, picking him up and dropping on the ground right in front of the defense's sideline. The defense went crazy and got penalized for excessive celebration. If you ask me, however, that was a bogus call. What's wrong with fifteen defenders leaving the sidelines jumping around and celebrating from the thirty yard line to the end zone for twenty-five seconds? C'mon.

Sirjo Welch - Welch was also with the threes as the game progressed. He didn't get too involved today, but they never really went his way.

Safeties:

Nick Patterson - Patterson opened up at free safety with the ones. He was solid and involved in numerous piles.

Jamario O'Neal - O'Neal was also with the ones. He had a couple of tackles near the line of scrimmage where he would somehow squeeze through blockers and take the runner's legs out. He's going to light some people up this season. Be ready.

Brandon Mitchell - Mitchell was with the twos today. I don't really remember too much coming from him, but it may have been because he was overshadowed by...

Anderson Russell - (Excuse me while I get into full gush mode.) For me, Russell was the story of the scrimmage. He had some very nice tackles, he defended a couple of passes (or dropped them, if you're a pessimist) and scooped up a Chris Wells fumble. Russell was everywhere the ball was. He is a playmaker, and it was apparent from about his third snap.

Devon Lyons - Lyons was working with the threes. There wasn't really a lot to report.

Curt Lukens - Lukens was the third strong safety in. He had a decent hit or two. (How's that for analysis.)

Special Teams:

The was no punting today, just field goals and extra points.

Ryan Pretorius - He was the first kicker in and showed some leg strength but was a bit inconsistent on accuracy. However, when Coach Tressel decided to go for a 58 yard field goal to win the game, he called on Pretorius. That has to mean something.

Aaron Pettrey - Pettrey was very impressive today. He looked to be a bit more accurate today and the field goals that he made were good by plenty.

I think that's about it. The score was not indicative of the decisiveness of this win for the defense. Who gives points for first downs, anyway?

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