by Jeremy Z. at College Football 2Day
A win is a win, right? Ugly from start to about two and half minutes left. From penalties, fumbles…..to a lack of focus…you name it. But wait….it’s a Thursday night game, why would it be any different?
Offensive line: C
No running lanes + Poor pass protection = C Rating. They made some important blocks down the stretch. It reminded me a lot of the Champs Bowl against Notre Dame. No run game, but enough to get the passing game going.
Running backs: B+
Yes, I believe they deserve it. Other than Freeman’s mistake that cost FSU 2 points, they made the most of it when they touched the ball. Maybe Wilder deserves all the credit for the rating. He did everything you could ask for when he touched the ball. Neither back had holes to run through……even on Wilder’s 4th down run. Hard to fault the backs for something they couldn’t control. Wilder did what he could in the passing game as well.
Quarterback: A+
Manuel may have struggled at times, but in the end, the Noles won because of his arm. He missed a few throws early, but he found his rhythm. Anybody else think we should adopt the Oregon offense? EJ looks very comfortable in the spread no-huddle. I am open to seeing him attempt 35+ throws a game.
Wide Receivers: A
Rashad Greene had a huge game. I would love to see Jimbo Fisher open up the passing playbook more often. This game shows that FSU has receivers that can give defenses nightmares. From Rodney Smith making big catches, to Greene’s ability to run after the catch…and it’s only a matter of time before Kelvin Benjamin really starts making big plays.
Defensive grades after the jump.
It was a pretty good night for the defensive line. They got pressure on Logan Thomas, and they contained the Hokies’ run game for the most part. Tank Carradine made some really good plays. The ‘Germinator’ was relatively quiet, but did record a pass break up and a couple of tackles.
Linebackers: A
As I have said before, this unit is getting better every week. They are learning from their mistakes quickly and it is showing. Vince Williams played lights out. Christian Jones had a solid game. If they had a weakness, it’s their man coverage. Other than that, I think it was one of their best performances of the season.
Secondary: A-
A couple of plays had some blown coverage, and there were some rare misses on pass break-ups. But in the end, they did get two interceptions. They covered well in certain situations, which allowed the pass rush to pressure Logan Thomas.
Special Teams: B+
Dustin Hopkins is one field goal away from the record books. Joyner is certainly doing a great job on kick returns. Can we, PLEASE, find somebody who can field punts? Coach Fisher, pick one guy and have him catch punts EVERY DAY in practice. Don’t let him do anything else…..just have him catch punts. I can’t watch another week of fumbled punts, and guys being scared to field punts.
Overall Team Performance: B+
Some of you are asking, “isn’t that a little high?” I believe the team played pretty well, minus the offensive line. The play of the team as a whole was not bad at all. So what am I saying? I believe the play-calling had something to do with the results. Yes, we got the win….but the play-calling was holding us back, BIG TIME. I thought sure that after the late first half touchdown, Jimbo Fisher would spread the Hokies out and let EJ Manuel do his thing. EJ has been at his best in spread hurry-up situations. Who cares if we only take ONE minute off the clock? Think back to the come-from-behind win against Clemson. He had several hot streaks in that game when he was in hurry-up mode. I say spread ‘em out and sling the ball all over the field.
Comments