Buffalo Game Review

I've had a chance to watch the game again. I'll not slobber on about Gurley and Marshall's performances, but boy could I. Murray had three throws that he just over amped it, but overall he looks like a much more confident and comfortable QB footwork and mechanics wise.

Thoughts...

• The defense looked as vanilla as possible. Like GDay vanilla. We didn't run blitz. We barely blitzed on obvious passing downs. I guess you could say Grantham might have thought his unit would get enough push from the front to not need it. Whatever it was, the adjustments at half would have been welcome after the first long Buffalo drive.
• Having said that, the D sure looked lost at times. I don't know if it is lack of knowledge of assignments or what, but we just were out of sync too much.
• We struggled at times in recognizing that drag play where they freeze the linebackers with a TE or running back and bring a WR into that empty zone.  We have to fix that with James Franklin.
• That goes doubly so for allowing the QB a ton of open space when the receivers are covered.
• I don't worry about the sacks. Zordich is very quick at getting the ball away. I suspect that is why he is the starter. We won't get many on Franklin, but guys like Bray, Shaw and Rogers will be in play. 
• The offensive line is a work in progress. There were times they didn't finish blocks. There were times they didn't make blocks. There were times they moved the pile five yards. There were times Murray had 10 seconds to throw. They just flat out got beat by the front at times. Overall, a C+.
• Don't look for Gurley to get many more kicks to return.
• Dude, Pwnn Wagers' crew missed at least six holds on important plays: the first TD pass (LT on our DE), Oliver's long run on 3rd and four to keep that drive alive (one on the guy blocking Jarvis and the one on the edge on Swann), on the other Oliver run on 3rd down (Norman almost got tackled by the WR), one on the long punt return at the end of the fist half, and on Zordich's run down to the 10 on Buffalo's last TD drive (inside on the DE).
• John Jenkins looks much more mobile than last year. Wow, he just leaped over the center at times.
• Glad we have the penalties worked out, but those two 12 men on the field things are just maddening.
• Arthur Lynch, wicked headhunter.  Shawn Williams, wicked safety. Jarvis Jones, wicked.
• I like Michael Bennett. He blocks downfield. He isn't afraid of the middle of the field. He catches whatever is thrown his way.
• We looked to throw to Lynch more times than I realized. Same goes for the FB pass. One to Hicks was batted down. One the Dick SamVI was just off his hands. Both would have been 10+ yard gainers.

Andre Ware line of the game: "Mike Bobo has lots of young talent to sit in the lab and invent stuff."

I feel much better about the game than I did leaving Saturday. By no means am I satisfied. On one hand, I am glad we had this game instead of someone with more talent. It should serve as a wake up and certainly gives Grantham some motivational film time.

I certainly hope Buffalo wins the MAC, although you have to think Ohio (winners at Penn State) or Toledo (who took Arizona to OT on the road) will be in that mix. We had no business allowing them 23 points, that is for sure. We also have some stuff to fix offensively, but we are a better team now offensively than we were last year. If we are close to the same team (and I think we are better) defensively, we are going to do well. Richt also has to find something to do to get his team ready to play at the same level, regardless of the level of competition.

On to Mizzu.

TD

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