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Unsung heroes - donkey687 - 12-19-2020

Going into the season with Adeebo and Little opting out and some injuries, we had some very big question marks in our depth chart. Our projected weaknesses ending up not being as weak because a few people stepped up who weren't really expected to based on preseason expectations. Here is my list:

1) Damuni: Damuni was supposed to be the fifth ILB but he ending up having to start and play most of the snaps this year. He played well.
2) DB 2,3,4: We felt good about Adeebo and KBK going into the season but had question marks behind them.  Bonner, STM and Manley have stepped up and played admirably when forced into action.
3) Shaffer: Thomas stepped up and started and got some QB pressure. We have so little depth here that Shaffer had to play a lot of snaps.
4) Heimuli:  It seemed like the FB was getting phased out of the Stanford offense the last few years, but Heimuli has brought it back with an all purpose FB especially in pass protection and run blocking.
5) Carberry: The much maligned OL coach has developed a great unit and the sophomores have really stepped up at the guard positions.
6) Strength and conditioning: The OL and DL were noticeably bigger and stronger this year.  The unheralded strength and conditioning coach is so unheralded that I can only tell you his name isn't Turley.

RE: Unsung heroes - Hurlburt88 - 12-19-2020

#6 is particularly interesting to examine, IMO.    You make a great point on the development of the lines, and if that can continue in the future will be great!   OTOH, and despite some persons with more expertise than I have clearly stating that they don't see causality, I continue to worry that statistically our high injury rates could be linked to weakness in our strength and conditioning program.   I am pretty interested in other assessments here . . . but again, if S&C is "on the ascension" we will all love it!

RE: Unsung heroes - Phogge - 12-19-2020

Tremayne. Fisk. Whoever has made the travel and practice arrangements.

RE: Unsung heroes - Langdude - 12-19-2020

I'd also say that our special teams have been excellent (except for Jet in the first game). This is especially true given that they have probably had to use fluctuating groups given injuries.

-m.

RE: Unsung heroes - donkey687 - 12-19-2020

(12-19-2020, 10:14 AM)Hurlburt88 Wrote:  #6 is particularly interesting to examine, IMO.    You make a great point on the development of the lines, and if that can continue in the future will be great!   OTOH, and despite some persons with more expertise than I have clearly stating that they don't see causality, I continue to worry that statistically our high injury rates could be linked to weakness in our strength and conditioning program.   I am pretty interested in other assessments here . . . but again, if S&C is "on the ascension" we will all love it!

I am not sure that our injuries this year would be considered abnormal or above average. It is certainly less than last year.  While ILB and WR have been hit hard, OL, QB, TE, RB, DL, Safetys and Special Teams have been largely unscathed. 

Good adds on Tremayne and Fisk.  I would also add masks and social distancing procedures.  No positive tests (knock on wood) since the players came back this fall is amazing.  

One question I have on the tie-breaker is whether we were kept out of the championship game by WSU getting covid and cancelling. If we played WSU and won, would we have gotten the nod over Oregon because we had a better record or would they still go to the tie-breaker and pick Oregon due to same number of losses and head to head loss to Oregon?