[CardinalSagehen]

Some of the confusion on Fields is due to, as msqueri points out, the fact that he's good on run support but below average at coverage.  Who knows the difference between the Okie D coverage scheme and ours, but 5 games into the season it shouldn't be a learning curve problem.

Shaw's hyperbole is just ignorable coachspeak.  As BC says, he's not gonna throw his guys under the bus.  There may be an element of motivation behind praising someone like Kelly or EJ.   I guess our task as fans and spectators is not to attach great expectations to the blah blah blah of coachspeak.

Agree completely.  Maybe Fields is not great in coverage, but he tackles better than most of our team.  

I'm not bothered by his feistiness.  He may be trying to inject some life and pride into players that have barely experienced any winning on the collegiate level.  Personally, I enjoy watching players that care enough about winning to show some emotion when things are going well (or badly). Fields has been to the CFP twice and has gone to four bowl games - he can be excused for having to tolerate the mess that is Stanford Football right now. 

Yes, on Saturday, he took bad angles twice on TD plays (although I still submit that the last play was super odd and unpredictable.)  But he was All Big-12 honorable mention twice.  Off the top of my head, I don't think we've had any safeties with any level of all-conference honors since Justin Reid.  I agree that Williamson has been our best safety so far this season, and he may receive honors.

[CardinalSagehen]

Some of the confusion on Fields is due to, as msqueri points out, the fact that he's good on run support but below average at coverage.  Who knows the difference between the Okie D coverage scheme and ours, but 5 games into the season it shouldn't be a learning curve problem.

Shaw's hyperbole is just ignorable coachspeak.  As BC says, he's not gonna throw his guys under the bus.  There may be an element of motivation behind praising someone like Kelly or EJ.   I guess our task as fans and spectators is not to attach great expectations to the blah blah blah of coachspeak.

Agree completely.  Maybe Fields is not great in coverage, but he tackles better than most of our team.  

I'm not bothered by his feistiness.  He may be trying to inject some life and pride into players that have barely experienced any winning on the collegiate level.  Personally, I enjoy watching players that care enough about winning to show some emotion when things are going well (or badly). Fields has been to the CFP twice and has gone to four bowl games - he can be excused for having to tolerate the mess that is Stanford Football right now. 

Yes, on Saturday, he took bad angles twice on TD plays (although I still submit that the last play was super odd and unpredictable.)  But he was All Big-12 honorable mention twice.  Off the top of my head, I don't think we've had any safeties with any level of all-conference honors since Justin Reid.  I agree that Williamson has been our best safety so far this season, and he may receive honors.