Whitmer officially #1

[Excalibur]

You are going to have to elaborate a little more on that. Smith is definitely the better blocker, but I am curious to see why you think he is the better receiver.

Not as fast as Kash, but IMO a better route runner who gets open more consistently, has a few inches on Kash and presents a better target, and has more consistent hands. Kash made some spectacular catches and was very good after the catch, but sometimes struggled with the easy ones.

 

[Waquoit]

I loved Kashif as well, but Smith is a better, more well-rounded receiver. If Whitmer can get them the ball, we look to have options in Smith and Phillips (at least the Phillips we saw in the spring game).

Not yet, he's not. He has to cut way down on the drops. Hopefully, this will be his year when it all comes together.

 

[freescooter]

I still have nightmares about the drop against Michigan, so I'm sort of holding my praise for Mike Smith. I certainly hope he turns out to be at the next level, but I'm going to have to see it. As far as Whitmer is concerned, I thought he looked very good in the Spring game. I'm a little concerned that he is on the small side, and there is some evidence that he sometimes tries to throw the ball into places it shouldn't be thrown. On the other hand, again using the spring game as evidence, it doesn't look like he lets mistakes bother him. Threw a pick in the endzone, but the next time he got the ball he drove it right down...didn't worry about putting it up again. This time he scored. I think in the passing game you have to occasionally take a risk. the thing is that you have to know when to do it and you can't let it get to you when it doesn't work out.

 

[pepband99]

Peg me in the holding camp for Smith, too. Lost in the drop @ Michigan was the 50-bobble catch he had too.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

Whitmer won't be the only offense for us, so he may only be passing in better situations. With a balanced attack everyone's numbers look better.

+1. His team might have been the exact opposite of UCONN; i.e. all passing, no running game. Does anyone know?

 

[pj]

+1. His team might have been the exact opposite of UCONN; i.e. all passing, no running game. Does anyone know?

If anything they were run oriented: 544 rushing attempts, 327 passing attempts on the season. 222 rushing ypg, 256 passing ypg. http://www.butlergrizzlies.com/sports/fball/2011-12/teams/butlercc

 

[mattp]

If anything they were run oriented: 544 rushing attempts, 327 passing attempts on the season. 222 rushing ypg, 256 passing ypg. http://www.butlergrizzlies.com/sports/fball/2011-12/teams/butlercc

that sounds good to me. i think having higher INT numbers in a run first offense, when a lot of your passes are on obvious passing downs isn't as damning as a lot of INTs when most of the passes are short, west coast style routes.

 

[businesslawyer]

I still have nightmares about the drop against Michigan, so I'm sort of holding my praise for Mike Smith. I certainly hope he turns out to be at the next level, but I'm going to have to see it. As far as Whitmer is concerned, I thought he looked very good in the Spring game. I'm a little concerned that he is on the small side, and there is some evidence that he sometimes tries to throw the ball into places it shouldn't be thrown. On the other hand, again using the spring game as evidence, it doesn't look like he lets mistakes bother him. Threw a pick in the endzone, but the next time he got the ball he drove it right down...didn't worry about putting it up again. This time he scored. I think in the passing game you have to occasionally take a risk. the thing is that you have to know when to do it and you can't let it get to you when it doesn't work out.

boy, it's hard to call that a "drop." Yes, he got his hands on it and it was catchable, but he had to turn fully around and try to pick the ball a few inches off the carpet with a defender right there. I'd not call something a drop unless it would have been a routine catch. That would not have been a routine catch had he made it.