Went to the scrimmage and figured I’d share a few observations. Obviously, it’s still early in fall camp, so take all of this for what it’s worth. Also, I spent a lot more time watching the offense than the defense.
Hot Dogs
- $8 each
- Good dog
- Bun was roughly the size of a small tortilla
- The $7 voucher made the financial hit a little easier
OFFENSE
Overall, not overly impressive, but honestly, that’s probably expected this early in camp. The play calling was also VERY basic, so I wouldn’t read too much into it.
- Running game seemed more consistent and appeared to be the focus.
- WRs were pretty underwhelming overall, IMO. They rotated what seemed like every WR on the roster, so it was probably tough for anyone to get into much of a rhythm.
- OL looked pretty solid, especially in the run game.
DEFENSE
I didn’t focus on them nearly as much, so grain of salt.
- Secondary looked good and seems like there might be some decent depth there. Nobody in particular jumped out at me.
- LBs — honestly, I couldn’t really tell. Looked like they were in nickel or a 4-3-4 most of the time. Or maybe I have no idea what I was looking at.
- D-line was probably the biggest concern for me. If the offense had really committed to running the ball, I think the O-line would have controlled the LOS pretty easily.
Qbs
Bell — Started and didn’t get a ton of reps in the first half but got more work in the second. I believe his first pass was an out route that got picked.
He tried to stay in the pocket, but it still seems like he has trouble seeing the middle of the field unless he gets outside the pocket. That said, he was spinning some nice deep balls. The TD to Branch was about as good as you can throw it, especially with pressure in his face.
Almost threw another pick over the middle.
At this point, I think he’s the starter. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he leads the team in rushing again.
Schakel — I really hate to say it, but he didn’t look very good. Strong arm, but his touch on the deep ball was off. I also didn’t see him working through progressions as much as I would have liked.
BUT…once I started paying more attention to the WRs when Jake was in, I noticed some sloppy route running, and a few of the route combinations didn’t make a lot of sense to me. That could have contributed quite a bit to why he looked off.
He can at least throw the ball down the middle of the field, which is something this offense desperately needs. I still have high hopes for Jake.
Rolfsness — Honestly looked like the best QB out there to me. Didn’t play a ton, but his accuracy looked great and the kid can move. He’s obviously not Bell as a runner, but he has enough size to break tackles.
He was working against the defensive 2s and 3s, so keep that in perspective.
Annett — True freshman and I thought he looked pretty darn good. Very poised and kept his head up while scrambling.
There was one play where I was sure he was going to tuck it and run, but he stopped right around the LOS, kept looking downfield and completed the pass. That caught my attention.
Again, he was playing with the freshmen/3s, but there’s definitely something there.
RBs
Dotson — Wasn’t dressed. Assuming he’s healthy, I still expect him to be RB1. Probably ease him back in as the number two with less than carries a game until Big Sky.
Medina — Looks like a power runner. Didn’t get many touches and was okay when he did. Maybe RB3/4.
Bozeman — I believe he’s a transfer. Based only on what I saw, I’d expect him toward the bottom of the depth chart. Could contribute on special teams and get carries when games are well in hand or out of hand.
Robles — Played well and seemed to get most of the touches. If Dotson is healthy, I’d guess Robles is RB2. If Dotson isn’t, Robles could easily be RB1.
Jaxon Bell — True freshman and Nate Bell’s little brother. This kid might have been the most impressive RB to me. He’s short, but pads are nice and low to the ground. Gets to the hole quickly, makes quick north/south cuts, has speed and almost always seems to fall forward.
He didn’t get a ton of touches, but if he gets an opportunity, I could see him becoming a weapon this year. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up RB2/3 despite being a true freshman.
WRs
There were so many rotating through that I’m only going to mention the guys who I noticed.
Jaxon Branch — Has the tools to be All Big Sky this year. At 6'3", he has a huge catching radius, which could be especially valuable with a QB who may struggle to see parts of the field. His TD grab from Bell was beautiful.
Garrett — Looked serviceable and most likely a starter.
Gardener — I keep thinking he has the ability to be really good. Still waiting to see him take that next step. Probably a starter or first off the bench.
East — Oregon State transfer. Listed at 6'1", 202, but he honestly looks bigger than that. Ball didn’t come his way enough to really get a good read on him. May see a lot of playing time.
Lang — Made a great TD grab and showed he can adjust his body in the air and make some of those Efton-type catches. Will see lots of playing time and targets.
Embree Jr. — Big target at 6'4" and made a couple of grabs. Will see the filed as well.
TEs
We still apparently believe throwing the ball to a TE is against the rules.
We’ll line up 2–3 of them at once, though. So easy read, if we have more than one TE on the field, most likely a run.
OL
Probably one of the more encouraging groups.
- Looked good as a unit.
- QBs generally had time, although some of the routes seemed to take forever to develop.
- Run blocking looked good.
- They handled our D-line pretty well.
Of course, that last point can either make you feel really good about the O-line or really nervous about the D-line. Pick your poison.
Punters
Good news, we may actually keep the ball in play more consistently this year!
Bad news, hang time looked pretty low and flipping field position may not be in our cards this year.
Baby steps.
Kickers
McKee — My guess is he handles the shorter stuff. He seemed to struggle from around 42 yards with getting the ball to the back of the end zone.
Dodson — 5-star true freshman kicker. Holy leg. Where McKee was struggling from around 42, Dodson looked like he was trying to kick the ball into Idaho.
The kid has a CANNON. Based on what I saw, I’d have a hard time keeping that leg off the field. With a Cheney wind at his back, I legitimately want to see them let him try one from 60+ just for entertainment purposes.
Enjoy him while he’s wearing an EWU uniform.
Overall, I’m hoping we see a little more opened up in Friday’s scrimmage. Unfortunately, I probably won’t be able to make that one.
Best — The man looks like he needs a cane to walk. And I genuinely don’t mean that as a shot at him. It just looks like his playing days have taken a serious toll on the knees, back, or both. The gift that keeps on giving long after you stop playing.
Anyway, those are my very unofficial, definitely-not-a-coach, watched-one-scrimmage observations. Take them for what they’re worth!
