Recruits and-or News for 2008

[n.ogdencat]

Thats exactly how it's suppose to be... If you don't go to class you don't play. Thats something Weber State is definitely known for, getting their student-athletes to graduate. I, for one, am extremely proud of our reputation and record with regards to graduation.

 

[ajwildcat]

O-LINE Coach Alex Gerke has left the program for a coaching job in Hawaii.
His replacement will be here this week.

 

[native]

wsucatfan[/color]"]Anybody have info on the team for next year? Any early recruiting info, or players leaving? What do we need to get to the playoffs next year?

1. I personally think if Higgins will be the x factor on how many games we will win.
2. I think our "D" will be dominating, but our corners need to improve.
3. Trevyn Smith is going to 3-peat as the Big Sky rushing leader.
4. I think we have a big hole to fill on the O line replacing Dave Hale.
5. We need a back-up QB to push Higgins, has Barnes left the program?
6. We need better play calling from the O.C. this is his 2nd season, hopefully he is a quick learner.

What accounts for the ABYSMAL WSU red zone offensive performance last year against Big Sky opponentes (65.6% - barely above cellar-dweller UNC and more than 30 points behind leader Eastern Washington), in contrast to the otherwise outstanding and balanced offensive stats?!???

Was Barnes the problem???

...the O.C.???

 

[wsucatfan]

wsucatfan[/color]"]Anybody have info on the team for next year? Any early recruiting info, or players leaving? What do we need to get to the playoffs next year?

1. I personally think if Higgins will be the x factor on how many games we will win.
2. I think our "D" will be dominating, but our corners need to improve.
3. Trevyn Smith is going to 3-peat as the Big Sky rushing leader.
4. I think we have a big hole to fill on the O line replacing Dave Hale.
5. We need a back-up QB to push Higgins, has Barnes left the program?
6. We need better play calling from the O.C. this is his 2nd season, hopefully he is a quick learner.

What accounts for the ABYSMAL WSU red zone offensive performance last year against Big Sky opponentes (65.6% - barely above cellar-dweller UNC and more than 30 points behind leader Eastern Washington), in contrast to the otherwise outstanding and balanced offensive stats?!???

Was Barnes the problem???

...the O.C.???

Not Barnes since he got benched early in the season but having a freshman QB in Higgins was probably the biggest factor. Which was bad for last year but sets WSU up great for the next 3 years.

 

[native]

wsucatfan[/color]"]
Not Barnes since he got benched early in the season but having a freshman QB in Higgins was probably the biggest factor. Which was bad for last year but sets WSU up great for the next 3 years.

How many times did the 'Cats go for it on 4th & long in the red zone when they should have been attempting a field goal?

 

[native]

ajwildcat[/color]"]

O-LINE Coach Alex Gerke has left the program for a coaching job in Hawaii.
His replacement will be here this week.

At least I won't have to worry about telling the difference between Coach Gerke and Coach Bailey

How badly will Coach Gerke's loss hurt the program? And how badly will his new assigment hurt our already precarious chances against UH? :-/

 

[Front5]

The reason that the Cat's continued to go for the end zone on forth and long last year is because the kicker could be counted on from twenty yards and out. It was just bad. There is supposed to be a kicker this year that is a lot better. I guess the kid was in academic problems, or a red shirt of somthing that stoped him from playing.

 

[native]

wsucatfan[/color]"]Anybody have info on the team for next year? Any early recruiting info, or players leaving? What do we need to get to the playoffs next year?

1. I personally think if Higgins will be the x factor on how many games we will win.
2. I think our "D" will be dominating, but our corners need to improve.
3. Trevyn Smith is going to 3-peat as the Big Sky rushing leader.
4. I think we have a big hole to fill on the O line replacing Dave Hale.
5. We need a back-up QB to push Higgins, has Barnes left the program?
6. We need better play calling from the O.C. this is his 2nd season, hopefully he is a quick learner.

1. Is Higgins a stand up guy who works hard in the off season? Did he improve mentally over the course of last season?

2. Although the D was good but not great last season, it looks like we got some help from the new recruiting class, and a relatively young crew from last year starts 2008 with another year of experience. What makes you think they will be "dominating?" Will we have a dominating KO coverage? ...an improved red zone defense? ...more big plays on defense? I sure hope you are right!

3. Trevyn looks great and...

4. Looks like we got some excellent fresh meat for the O-Line. How do you think the OL recruits stack up? Who can step up from last year?

5. Who will be the #1 backup? Barnes? Is incoming freshman QB Joel Hancock as good as his HS stats? Do you think Higgins has the starting position sewn up?

6. What's the problem with the play calling? Predictability? Lack of imagination? Inability to execute?

DANG! Still five months to pre-season drills

 

[native]

fatwildcat[/color]"]The reason that the Cat's continued to go for the end zone on forth and long last year is because the kicker could be counted on from twenty yards and out. It was just bad. There is supposed to be a kicker this year that is a lot better. I guess the kid was in academic problems, or a red shirt of somthing that stoped him from playing.

Looks like last year's original kicker had some problems mid-season and the punter stepped in a did a pretty dang good job, including a long ball from 43 yards out. It's impossible for one kicker to do all three jobs (KO, FG/PAT, P) really well, but Mike Snoy did really well as a punter!

 

[native]

fatwildcat[/color]"]... There is supposed to be a kicker this year that is a lot better. I guess the kid was in academic problems, or a red shirt of somthing that stoped him from playing.

He strained a hammy and red-shirted at Grossmont.

Grades were OK though.

 

[ajwildcat]

actually, they signed a kicker this year that will do a great job. They only had 2 kickers last year, Snoy and the other kid. Snoy had to do it all because the other kid turned out to be a total head case.

 

[ajwildcat]

HERE'S OUR NEW KICKER

JON WILLIAMS - Placekicker

5-10, 200 Sophmore

San Diego, California

(Point Loma HS/Alcorn Stat /Grossmont JC)

...Comes to Weber State after spending a red-shirt season at Grossmont JC in San Diego. ... Attended Alcorn State as a freshman where he was 8-12 in field goal attempts and earned Second Team All-SWAC honors. ... Will have three seasons of eligibilty remaining.

 

[ajwildcat]

HOPE THIS HELPS

 

[native]

ajwildcat[/color]"]HERE'S OUR NEW KICKER

JON WILLIAMS - Placekicker

5-10, 200 Sophmore

San Diego, California

(Point Loma HS/Alcorn Stat /Grossmont JC)

...Comes to Weber State after spending a red-shirt season at Grossmont JC in San Diego. ... Attended Alcorn State as a freshman where he was 8-12 in field goal attempts and earned Second Team All-SWAC honors. ... Will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Williams' 2006 NCAA stats as a freshman at Alcorn State University are 9 for 14 field goals, 43 longest. He was 8 of 9 in red zone conversions with one kick, a 37-yard attempt, blocked.

 

[smjcpa1]

I hope that he is a lot better than what we had last year. Can this guy put the ball in the endzone on kick-offs?

 

[native]

smjcpa[/color]"]I hope that he is a lot better than what we had last year. Can this guy put the ball in the endzone on kick-offs?

Williams averaged 65+ yards and 3.85 seconds hang time at the kicking.com combine finals last January in Costa Mesa during the AFCA convention.

Technically, Williams finished third behind Donnie Carona (signed with Texas Tech) and Drew Alleman (signed with LSU) at the combine KO finals, but his kicks were better than Carona's who didn't have to kick against him head-to-head.

His hang time was not that good as a freshman at Alcorn State in 2006 but he managed a handful of touchbacks when they allowed him to make real kickoffs.

I don't know how he will do in Ogden at 4500 feet.

You can see his kicks online at iplayers:
http://www.iplayers.net/players/783

 

[smjcpa1]

Hey Native, you must be a parent or something to know hang time, avg yds, and being at the kicking.com combine. At 4500 ft the ball should go pretty well.

 

[native]

smjcpa[/color]"]Hey Native, you must be a parent or something to know hang time, avg yds, and being at the kicking.com combine. At 4500 ft the ball should go pretty well.

It's all online. I used to do stats. It's a marginally more useful pursuit than watching TV

What else can a football junkie do in the off season besides blog?!??

 

[native]

Will there be any spring football this year?

If not, why not? ???

 

[ajwildcat]

Spring Ball starts the week of March 17th, and then the spring game will be somewhere around April 23rd.