The Bobcat Nation

Maybe Quast and/or others with more insight (as a lot of us have never been within 10 yards of an exchange) can help with this but why oh why is that such as issue for Lulay, and especially this season?

I believe Kris Atterbery said sometime during the game it was our 10th muffed exchange in three games? You see it occasionally but not by one team and not this many times in a season let alone 3 games. I can almost accept it in a situation like McNeese State in the playoffs in 2001 when we had our 3rd center in but not now. Please help me understand.

WYCAT wrote:Maybe Quast and/or others with more insight (as a lot of us have never been within 10 yards of an exchange) can help with this but why oh why is that such as issue for Lulay, and especially this season?

I believe Kris Atterbery said sometime during the game it was our 10th muffed exchange in three games? You see it occasionally but not by one team and not this many times in a season let alone 3 games. I can almost accept it in a situation like McNeese State in the playoffs in 2001 when we had our 3rd center in but not now. Please help me understand.

The fumbled snaps this year have nearly all came on plays where Bierkeland is downblocking to his right. It seems he short arms those particular snaps, and it is a habit he is having a hard time breaking. Look for a possible center shakeup this weekend. Bolton or Verlanic were two names being thrown around. Verlanic actually played the rest of the game at center after the third fumbled snap.

GavinDonos wrote:
The fumbled snaps this year have nearly all came on plays where Bierkeland is downblocking to his right. It seems he short arms those particular snaps, and it is a habit he is having a hard time breaking. Look for a possible center shakeup this weekend. Bolton or Verlanic were two names being thrown around. Verlanic actually played the rest of the game at center after the third fumbled snap.

Verlanic I believe only played a series and then Brent came back in and I don't think Brent came out because of the bad snaps. You might check, but he seemed to be talking with the trainer for a little bit while out.

As for Bolton or Verlanic. A more viable option is Fig (who is listed as a center and has started there two years ago). Bolton has played some center in the spring and even Jensen (with his 53 number) must have played some center in his career. There are 5 (or 6 counting DeCock) primary linemen and they will stay with them, just shifting due to injury or problems. Must all colleges play a 6th man on the line. Where if there is an injury, there is a shift and the next best lineman (not that positions backup) comes in.

So, if this would happen, Brent would move to possibly left guard with Bolton moving to right or center, or Brent just straight to right (although he played LG last year).

My best guess would be that Bierkeland shouldn’t be playing center- I can assure you that Lulay isn't doing anything diffrent or wrong. If he hasn’t got a handle on the snaps now there is no reason to think that he is going to have it figured out by NDSU or even after that game. I am sure that Bailey has him in because he is the best blocker, but there has been to many miscues to justify keeping him in any longer.

mquast53000 wrote:My best guess would be that Bierkeland shouldn’t be playing center- I can assure you that Lulay isn't doing anything diffrent or wrong. If he hasn’t got a handle on the snaps now there is no reason to think that he is going to have it figured out by NDSU or even after that game. I am sure that Bailey has him in because he is the best blocker, but there has been to many miscues to justify keeping him in any longer.

Good point. Not making an excuse for TL here, because obviously made some mistakes in this game, but I can only imagine how tough this game was for him. Loads of pressure to get his first W over this team. Probably one of the best D's in 1-AA, has a very difficult time figuring out the D schemes as it is let alone worrying about whether the snap was going to be there or not. That may have had a bigger effect on our O production that we realize...

catatac wrote:

mquast53000 wrote:My best guess would be that Bierkeland shouldn’t be playing center- I can assure you that Lulay isn't doing anything diffrent or wrong. If he hasn’t got a handle on the snaps now there is no reason to think that he is going to have it figured out by NDSU or even after that game. I am sure that Bailey has him in because he is the best blocker, but there has been to many miscues to justify keeping him in any longer.

Good point. Not making an excuse for TL here, because obviously made some mistakes in this game, but I can only imagine how tough this game was for him. Loads of pressure to get his first W over this team. Probably one of the best D's in 1-AA, has a very difficult time figuring out the D schemes as it is let alone worrying about whether the snap was going to be there or not. That may have had a bigger effect on our O production that we realize...

The snaps were many times during 3rd down conversions. Which means punt immediately. So the drive was stopped not by coming up short or missing a pass, but before it started. It's worse than a off sides on short and 3rd.

Cal Poly's MLB was very active and had a sack or more, so maybe that pressure affected Brent. Not sure if going right had an issue because several were probably pass plays.

As for TL, he's been there for 3 years and a couple of centers and didn't have this problem.

As for why he was there (the Best Blocker), I still don't think it will be Verlanic replacing him if he is replaced. It will be Fig or Bolton. And they are better blockers than Brent. So Brent was there so they could play guard. Now Brent will probably just move to guard and one of them move in to the position. Brent is an excellent OL member either way.

or just run from the gun all game...run and shoot baby!

TB,

In two words...right on!!!!! While your at it, let's screen, draw, roll out, sprint out and anything else to beat the blitz and break contain.

Leave Brierkland at center if he can make a decent shotgun snap. Now we're talkin...lets run the whole damn offense from the gun. Let's make the defense adjust to us for a change.

I was randomly flipping around channels right after work and happened upon the Bobcat coaches show (on channel 5 on Bresnan in Belgrade).

Kramer said there could be some changes on the o-line. He said they may slide Birkland to guard and moved Bolton to tackle. He didn't who would be playing center. He praised Bolton, Figueroa, and Hirst (except for one play where he got beat), and he had praise for Jensen as well. He said they have to get DeCock back in some more to take advantage of his size.

My guess is we see Figueroa at center against NDSU.

Call me crazy, but it sounds like Jensen and Brent at Guard, Hirst Bolton at tackle, and Fig at center. Then I would bring DeCock in at TE at times for running the ball and/or protection.

Just a crazy thought.