Tag: western carolina

Did Jaden Knowles and Todd Hudson do enough to ease RB depth concerns?

In the Oklahoma Sooners 76-0 win over Western Carolina, Jaden Knowles and Todd Hudson were productive, but did they do enough to answer the questions about the running back room?

Tumultuous. That’s it. That’s the one word that can be used to describe Oklahoma’s winter, spring, and summer in the running back room.

Following the Oklahoma Sooners’ thrashing of the Florida Gators in the Cotton Bowl, head coach Lincoln Riley and running backs coach DeMarco Murray thought they would head into this season with a stable of some really great running backs. Flash forward to now and things did not pan out remotely close to how they envisioned them.

We documented those troubles in detail right here.  However, we are here to discuss the running backs of this season. More specifically, the two guys on the team that aren’t on scholarship, who will play a vital role going forward.

Jaden Knowles and Todd Hudson round out a paper-thin running back room as they back up Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray. Gray and Brooks are the featured guys, and for good reason, but where do Knowles and Hudson fit in?

Both are walk-ons and got their chance to show something in meaningful game action in the Sooners dismantling of Western Carolina University. Knowles, a redshirt junior had four carries for 37 yards and two rushing touchdowns and added two catches for 67 yards to close out a pretty productive night. Hudson, a redshirt sophomore was able to tote the rock nine times for 25 yards and two touchdowns.

Obviously, the competition wasn’t the toughest but a key component to being a running back is holding on to the ball. Knowles and Hudson did that on Saturday.

Barring injury, it’s hard to envision a time where either see the field with a game still in doubt. Riley and Murray will ride the wheels of Gray and Brooks until the wheels fall off. They have to. They offer things that Knowles and Hudson don’t. Most notably in size, speed, and big-game experience. However, there’s reason to believe if one of the main two goes down, Riley and Murray will probably have a little bit more confidence in one of the walk-ons stepping into a significant role. They almost have to. They know the plays, the responsibilities and it’s easier to plug them in on the fly as opposed to try and shift the position of a wide receiver and turn them into a running back in the middle of a game week.

Is the verdict a yes or no? There’s just not enough evidence to accurately give a definitive answer. Knowles and Hudson gave their coaches something to think about and that’s much more than either envisioned coming into the season. Only time will tell when or if they will actually be called upon in a significant moment or game.

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Oklahoma moves up in latest USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll

The Oklahoma Sooners climbed a spot in the latest USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll after their manhandling of Western Carolina 76-0.

After falling back in the polls after a lackluster win over Tulane, the Oklahoma Sooners restored a little bit of confidence in the voters with their 76-0 drubbing of FCS Western Carolina.

In the latest USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, the Sooners inched ahead to number three in the poll on the back of Spencer Rattler’s five-touchdown first-half performance on Saturday evening.

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The Alabama Crimson Tide remains the number one team in the country and garnered 64 of the possible 65 first-place votes. Georgia, who remains number two, picked up the remaining first-place vote after their win.

Oregon climbed seven spots after their win over the previous no. 3 team in the country Ohio State. Texas fell out of the Top 25 after their double-digit point loss to Arkansas in a battle of future SEC foes. Arkansas was a big winner in the poll, climbing 20 spots to no. 24.

Iowa State dropped four spots in their loss to in-state rival Iowa and Oklahoma State moved up one spot after rallying to beat Tulsa.

The story of this week’s poll is the bottom falling out of Texas, Florida State, USC, and Utah, and Miami after some bad losses this week. USC fell to San Diego State and Florida State lost on a hail mary to Jacksonville State in the closing seconds. Utah lost an in-state matchup to future Big 12 member BYU and Miami beat Appalachian State but didn’t look good in the process.

Full USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll:

Rank Team Points Change
1 Alabama 1,624 –
2 Georgia 1,558 –
3 Oklahoma 1,454 +1
4 Oregon 1,356 +7
5 Texas A&M 1,307 –
6 Clemson 1,279 –
7 Iowa 1,165 +5
8 Cincinnati 1,114 –
9 Florida 1,095 –
10 Notre Dame 1,059 -3
11 Ohio State 1,041 -8
12 Penn State 995 +1
13 UCLA 787 +3
14 Iowa State 611 -4
15 Virginia Tech 591 +6
16 Ole Miss 546 +4
17 Wisconsin 537 –
18 Coastal Carolina 492 +1
19 North Carolina 300 +3
20 Auburn 264 +6
21 Arizona State 246 +4
22 Oklahoma State 222 +1
23 BYU 213 +8
24 Arkansas 196 +20
25 Michigan 180 +2

Dropped from the rankings:

No. 14 Southern California; No. 15 Texas; No. 18 Utah; No. 24 Miami.

Others receiving votes:

Miami 137; Southern California 99; Central Florida 65; Michigan State 63; Liberty 63; Texas Christian 57; Pittsburgh 52; Kentucky 50; Utah 41; Texas 36; Kansas State 28; Indiana 28; Louisiana State 26; Boston College 22; Nevada 18; Fresno State 13; Southern Methodist 10; Rutgers 10; UL Lafayette 9; San Diego State 9; Mississippi State 9; Army 9; Tulane 6; Maryland 6; San Jose State 5; NC State 5; Virginia 4; Marshall 4; Stanford 3; Air Force 3; Texas-San Antonio 1; Memphis 1; Boise State 1.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

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Pair of Chargers cornerbacks making strong cases for final roster spots

Chargers cornerbacks John Brannon and Kemon Hall have impressed this summer.

Leading up into the preseason, I had five cornerbacks projected to make the 53-man roster: Michael Davis, Chris Harris Jr., Asante Samuel Jr., Brandon Facyson and Donte Vaughn.

Davis, Harris and Samuel are essentially locks to make the cut, but beyond them is where it’s tough to predict who will make the team, because of a pair of under-the-radar corners that have made their cases to stick around.

Those two are John Brannon and Kemon Hall.

Heading into the contest against the Rams as the leader in interceptions in training camp with three, Brannon put himself at the top in the category in preseason play after picking off Devlin Hodges on a fourth-down play from the Bolts’ five-yard line that would’ve tied the game.

“Really excited for him because he’s been working so hard,” head coach Brandon Staley said about Brannon. “He’s got so far to go, but his heart, his spirit is right, and we’re going to keep coaching him.”

Hall, on the other hand, helped himself by making plays in all phases. He and Alohi Gilman forced a fumble. Hall also generated a quarterback pressure to Bryce Perkins that forced him to throw the ball away. The play right after, he broke up a pass on third down.

“He gives you a little bit of inside/outside flex,” Staley said. “Then he’s got a really good body type for special teams because he’s strong and he’s fast. He can do a bunch of jobs on teams.”

Even after strong performances in practices and Los Angeles’ opener, Brannon and Hall still aren’t locks to make the final roster. But if they keep at this pace and special teams standout Ryan Smith is not ready to return from his lingering injury, it will be difficult to let them go.

Alabama-Western Carolina: Postgame report

The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Western Carolina Catamounts with a finals score of 66-3 to improve to 10-1 on the 2019 regular season. This game was a true test of the Alabama offense without Tua Tagovailoa on the field. Redshirt-Sophomore …

The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Western Carolina Catamounts with a finals score of 66-3 to improve to 10-1 on the 2019 regular season.

This game was a true test of the Alabama offense without Tua Tagovailoa on the field.

Redshirt-Sophomore quarterback Mac Jones stepped up big time in place of Tagovailoa, completing 10 of 12 pass attempts for 275 yards and three touchdowns, all while not turning the ball over.

The freshman younger brother of Tua, Taulia Tagovailoa, also got to take some snaps at quarterback.

He completed two of three pass attempts for a single touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

The passing attack turned out to be the most successful method of production as the Alabama offense totaled 310 yards and four touchdowns.

Devonta Smith continues to shine in his Junior season and make a strong case for being a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, today he reeled in four receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns.

Jaylen Waddle also got in on the action as he had three catches for 101 yards and a single touchdown that highlighted his breakaway speed along the sideline.

The running game also proved to be effective as Najee Harris had 14 carries for 66 yards, one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown.

While Harris remains the star of the Alabama backfield, a young face made a strong appearance late in the game.

Freshman Keilan Robinson had eight carries for 92 yards and a touchdown in his brief appearance against the Catamounts.

The defense had another impressive outing as they were able to bring in four interceptions, two a piece for Xavier McKinney and Jared Mayden.

Overall, Western Carolina’s offense was held to 179 yards, 112 in the air and 67 on the ground.

This was a game many anticipated Alabama would walk away with a win, but the true test will be n the Crimson Tide’s final regular season game of the year as they’ll travel to Auburn and take on the Tigers, a game that will have some hefty playoff implications.

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Alabama-Western Carolina: Halftime report

Alabama leads the Western Carolina Catamounts 38 – 0 at the half in a game that has displayed Alabama’s dominance on both sides of the ball.

The Alabama Crimson Tide leads the Western Carolina Catamounts 38 – 0 at the half in a game that has displayed Alabama’s dominance on both sides of the ball.

 

Offensively, Mac Jones has had an impressive first half completing 9 of 11 passes for 253 yards and 3 TDs. DeVonta Smith finished the first half with 3 receptions for 79 yards and TD. Jaylen Waddle has put on a show in the first half as he also has 3 receptions, but for 101 yard and a TD.

Defensively, Alabama has showcased a dominance we’ve been expecting to see all season led by Xavier McKinney who recorded two first half interceptions, one of which was returned 81 yards for a TD, as well as a forced fumble. The defense has also sacked WCU’s Tyrie Adams 4 times so far in the game. They have held Western Carolina’s quarterback, Tyrie Adams, to only 84 yards passing and 2 INTs.

Alabama will need to start the second half with the same energy and momentum. It will be interesting to see if Mac Jones starts the second half, or if we will see Tua Tagovailoa’s younger brother, Taulia, in at quarterback.

Stay tuned for more news, updates and highlights from Roll Tide Wire as the second half gets underway!

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Breaking Down Alabama vs. Western Carolina

Breaking down what both teams would have to do to win Saturday’s matchup in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

A few weeks ago, with Tua Tagovailoa back in as starting quarterback for Alabama, Western Carolina was simply viewed as a “cupcake” game, but with Mac Jones taking over as QB1, this matchup not only has the potential to not only prove that Alabama is still a bold choice for the College Football Playoff, but prove Mac Jones is more than capable to lead the Crimson Tide the rest of the season.

What does Western Carolina have to do to win? 

Western Carolina has never beaten an NCAA Division I FBS team, and would have to play an absolutely perfect game in order to beat the Crimson Tide. 

Offensively, quarterback Tyrie Adams has just under 9,000 career passing yards at WCU. If Adams can be smart and consistent and move the ball downfield, they have the chance to put up some points against Alabama. With only 5 interceptions for the season, Adams has continued to improve throughout his career with being more accurate as well as consistent. Also, with WCU’s ability to run the option, they could get some big yardage against this Alabama team who has historically struggled defending such teams, including Citadel, that ran 32 times for 149 yards and a touchdown in the first half of last season’s game.

Defensively, WCU will need to pressure Mac Jones out of the pocket, as well as shut down Alabama’s running game. If Western Carolina is able to force Alabama to create turnovers, the Catamounts may prevent Alabama from making it to the CFB Playoff. 

What does Alabama have to do to win? 

Alabama has to view Western Carolina as a legitimate opponent. Alabama cannot afford to come into the game comfortable, or they could see a Citadel 2.0 performance like last season. 

Offensively, Alabama has to settle into the running game early. If Najee Harris and Brian Robinson Jr. can move the ball for the Tide, not only will it help with Alabama controlling the time of possession as well as exhausting the Western Carolina defensive line, it would also open up big plays downfield.

Besides running the ball, Mac Jones has to have another performance like he did against Arkansas. If Jones can show consistency and accuracy with his ability to see down the field and make plays, not only will Alabama show they are still more than capable of winning with Jones as QB1, it could show how talented Jones truly is. 

Defensively, Alabama’s defensive line has to stop the option game WCU will play. If they can shut down the running game and make Adams throw the ball for WCU, this game could be over before it starts. This will be a good game for Alabama to continue working out the kinks in the defense and prevent busted coverage. 

Who do I think will win this game?

Alabama. Bama needs to win big to prove to the CFB Playoff committee that they’re still a team worthy of a playoff spot.

Score prediction: Alabama 52, Western Carolina 10

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