Rants & Raves: KSU
Photo by Larry Sellers
Rants & Raves
Rave: Jackrabbit fans, please please please appreciate Taryn Christion. Whether he has one or two games left, this man has done so much for the Jackrabbit football program. Watching Maine and Weber St. play with very limited quarterback play should give every Jackrabbit fan a glimpse of what it is like to play without an elite quarterback. We have been pretty spoiled over the years with the quality of our passers. Taryn's numbers were limited on Saturday because of the weather but his mobility, levelheadedness, and decision making were on full display. There were a handful of times where it looked like he was going to be sacked for a major loss but Taryn was able to escape the pressure and make a play or simply throw it away to avoid a turnover. He does so much good and puts the offense in good spots on a routine basis. He can even go win a game like he did on Saturday.
Rave: Cheers to the defense as a whole. They allowed some yards but overall seemed to withstand the option okay. This is a weird offense and it is their first time facing it in almost 3 years. Forcing 3 fumbles and collecting an interception were huge. Sometimes in sloppy weather games, like Saturday, ball control is maybe the most important statistic outside of the score.
Rant: I hate to keep writing this one but the PENALTIES have to stop. On Saturday they had 8 for 64 yards. Free yards that they gave away. The taunting, the false starts, the personal fouls. They have to stop. I can understand a hold or a pass interference during game play but the extra curricular BS needs to be done. This can't happen against NDSU or the Jacks will lose. The team has to be more disciplined. Don't be selfish. Please.
Rave: The Jacks won the time of the possession battle by a minute. This is pretty impressive given the fact that KSU came into the game holding a 4 minute top of possession advantage on their opponents on average. A huge reason the Jackrabbits won this statistics is the strong running game. Pierre Strong continued his strong freshman campaign and rushed for 112 yards and a TD. Mikey Daniel and C.J. Wilson couldn't get much going on the ground by Taryn was able to rush for 37 and a key TD.
Rave: Coupled withe the above "rave," the #605Hogs need to be recognized. They were very good. Special shoutout to Tiano and Eagan for showcasing their athleticism on the pulls and traps. They were great and I think they really wore down the smaller KSU defense by the end of the game.
Rave: For years the Jackrabbit special teams coverage units had made fans hold their breath and close their eyes. The 2017 coverage units were pretty good but the 2018 rendition has been phenomenal. KSU was one of the top special teams teams in the country and the Jacks dominated that side of the ball. In addition, Cade Johnson was phenomenal on his returns. He is just so natural doing it. Brady Hale's punting was excellent. Marshon Harris did a sound job catching the wet football on punt return. Chase was perfect on kicks, extra points, and field goals. Football is a game of three phases and the Jackrabbits are very good at all three.
Rant: I didn't like the running calls that continued to poke at the perimeter of the KSU defense. I haven't watched it back, but it felt like nearly every time the Jacks tried to get to the outside it resulted in a short gain, no gain, or loss. When they powered straight forward it seemed like they had much more success. I have no stats on this but that is how it felt live.
Rave: I know he doesn't get a lot of love but Kallan Hart is so incredibly reliable. Kal is a tremendous blocker in the run game and seems to take pride in that part of his game. He doesn't get targeted every game but he makes the most of his opportunities. His 40 yard catch and run on Saturday may not have been pretty but it was effective and it was exactly what the Jackrabbit offense needed.
Rave: A player that we haven't talked about much that needs to get some attention this week is Caleb Sanders. I don't know the breakdown of snaps, but he was tasked with playing more on Saturday due to the injury to Krockett Krolikowski. It felt like Caleb was penetrating and disrupting the flow of the option the whole game. He finished with 5 solo tackles and 1 tackle for loss. A pretty impressive showing for a true freshman!
Game Balls
Offense: Taryn Christion (12/18, 147 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 43 yards rushing, 1 TD)
- I think I said it all in the first "Rave" but Taryn's game on Saturday was just pure grit and determination. I'm excited to see how he performs in a climate controlled environment after playing in slop the past month an a half.
Defense: Christian Rozeboom (14 total tackles, 10 solo, 3 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumbled)
- An absolutely outstanding game by one of the best linebackers in the country. Rozeboom was decisive, yet patient on the option. His reads seemed nearly perfect, and his tackling was really good in the sloppy conditions. Like Taryn, I hope we are appreciating how good Rozeboom is.
Special Teams: Brady Hale
- Brady is wrapping up a phenomenal career as a Jackrabbit. In the type of conditions that the Jacks faced on Saturday, every yard counts. The fact that Hale averaged 43.2 yards per kick and landed 2 inside the 20 show how much of a weapon he truly is. As a bonus, he handled all of the snaps on the place kicking perfectly.
Go Jacks!
Matt
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