Of course, RU was not perfect. And of course, there are flaws with the defense ... and special teams.
BUT ... RU just won a great game. It was not the most important game , not more important than any other single game (i.e. losing might not have changed the trajectory of the season) - but the win, like the one last week against VT, DOES have importance at several levels. Such as, any Big Ten win is material (after al, the next team goal to achieve is a winning record in Big Ten play - which has never happened - which this season would mean at least an 8-4 overall record), and such as preserving the chances of a truly unusually special season.
So ... positives (leave the negatives for another thread please - plenty of room and time for those):
1) The OL play. Though not perfect, I think the OL played very well against a tough UW defense, and a strong UW front 4. Not every running play was wide open, but the OL persisted and made enough plays to spring Monangai and Brown on key plays ... and though they gave up 1 sack, for the most part pass-protected pretty darned well.
2) Monangai. Do I have to say more? Beast.
3) Brown - okay, just the one big play (but also several nice pass-protecting executions). But what a play: On that 37-yard TD run, he showed excellent patience, a terrific decision on when and where to cut upfield, a fine breaking of one tackle, and good enough speed to pull away for the TD.
4) Powell: He was not as omni-present as I would like to see - and as he likely will be as the season progresses and as he works his back into game shape. BUT ... 2 just ENORMOUS plays, plays that made all the difference between a win and a loss (well, I guess in a game this close you could say that about ANY one player's single play): 1) The tipped pass with UW at the RU 2-yard line (4th down I think), deflecting the pass from a potentially wide open WR in the endzone (though RU's DB was closing pretty fast); and 2) With the clock winding down, UW trying to score, a tip pass again ... both came on Powell blitzing.
5) Tommy Ward's (I think it was he - #38, anyway) FANTASTIC open field tackle on the UW kick returner after Brown's TD run. That returner had broken to the outside, had an open field, and may even have returned the kick for a TD - certainly would have put UW at the 45 or 50 yard line or better. Instead, #38 comes flying out of NOWHERE, with a GREAT angle, and a great open field tackle - at the 22 yard line with just under 11 minutes left. The ensuing UW drives used up a crucial 4 minutes of clock and ended with a missed FG. Huge play by #38, fine play.
6) Under-sung given the UW QB was 26-36 for 300+ yards, but the RU DB's made a number of really big plays, especially in the 2nd half. Loyal and Dixon each made outstanding plays on the ball on key 3rd downs to perfectly break up well-thrown passes, Masco and Rogers each made crucial 3rd down open field tackles to force UW into FG's (both of which missed). The 51-yard TD was not on the DB's - that was the LB Moses Walker in the middle of the field zone, taking a really bad angle and missing the tackle.
7) RU's coaching - not merely in this one game, but coaching the PROGRAM, coaching and getting the players to buy into DISCIPLINE ... just 4 penalties for 31 yards, only one of which ended up relevant (2 odd illegal procedure penalties, back to back, on the same punt ... odd). And there can be no doubt that RU's discipline and lack of significant penalties versus UW's hugely significant penalties at crucial times of the game - and 15-yards too - was THE difference in the game overall. UW "only" had 6 penalties, true, but 4 were for 15 yards each ... 2 gave RU 1st downs and led directly to RU TD's ... the other 15 yard penalties put UW behind the sticks, so to speak, and allowed RU to play "bend but not break" coverage, preventing 1st downs (I think 1 ended up leading to a punt and another to a missed FG - or perhaps to a made FG in the 1st quarter, rather than a TD?).
BUT ... RU just won a great game. It was not the most important game , not more important than any other single game (i.e. losing might not have changed the trajectory of the season) - but the win, like the one last week against VT, DOES have importance at several levels. Such as, any Big Ten win is material (after al, the next team goal to achieve is a winning record in Big Ten play - which has never happened - which this season would mean at least an 8-4 overall record), and such as preserving the chances of a truly unusually special season.
So ... positives (leave the negatives for another thread please - plenty of room and time for those):
1) The OL play. Though not perfect, I think the OL played very well against a tough UW defense, and a strong UW front 4. Not every running play was wide open, but the OL persisted and made enough plays to spring Monangai and Brown on key plays ... and though they gave up 1 sack, for the most part pass-protected pretty darned well.
2) Monangai. Do I have to say more? Beast.
3) Brown - okay, just the one big play (but also several nice pass-protecting executions). But what a play: On that 37-yard TD run, he showed excellent patience, a terrific decision on when and where to cut upfield, a fine breaking of one tackle, and good enough speed to pull away for the TD.
4) Powell: He was not as omni-present as I would like to see - and as he likely will be as the season progresses and as he works his back into game shape. BUT ... 2 just ENORMOUS plays, plays that made all the difference between a win and a loss (well, I guess in a game this close you could say that about ANY one player's single play): 1) The tipped pass with UW at the RU 2-yard line (4th down I think), deflecting the pass from a potentially wide open WR in the endzone (though RU's DB was closing pretty fast); and 2) With the clock winding down, UW trying to score, a tip pass again ... both came on Powell blitzing.
5) Tommy Ward's (I think it was he - #38, anyway) FANTASTIC open field tackle on the UW kick returner after Brown's TD run. That returner had broken to the outside, had an open field, and may even have returned the kick for a TD - certainly would have put UW at the 45 or 50 yard line or better. Instead, #38 comes flying out of NOWHERE, with a GREAT angle, and a great open field tackle - at the 22 yard line with just under 11 minutes left. The ensuing UW drives used up a crucial 4 minutes of clock and ended with a missed FG. Huge play by #38, fine play.
6) Under-sung given the UW QB was 26-36 for 300+ yards, but the RU DB's made a number of really big plays, especially in the 2nd half. Loyal and Dixon each made outstanding plays on the ball on key 3rd downs to perfectly break up well-thrown passes, Masco and Rogers each made crucial 3rd down open field tackles to force UW into FG's (both of which missed). The 51-yard TD was not on the DB's - that was the LB Moses Walker in the middle of the field zone, taking a really bad angle and missing the tackle.
7) RU's coaching - not merely in this one game, but coaching the PROGRAM, coaching and getting the players to buy into DISCIPLINE ... just 4 penalties for 31 yards, only one of which ended up relevant (2 odd illegal procedure penalties, back to back, on the same punt ... odd). And there can be no doubt that RU's discipline and lack of significant penalties versus UW's hugely significant penalties at crucial times of the game - and 15-yards too - was THE difference in the game overall. UW "only" had 6 penalties, true, but 4 were for 15 yards each ... 2 gave RU 1st downs and led directly to RU TD's ... the other 15 yard penalties put UW behind the sticks, so to speak, and allowed RU to play "bend but not break" coverage, preventing 1st downs (I think 1 ended up leading to a punt and another to a missed FG - or perhaps to a made FG in the 1st quarter, rather than a TD?).
