The offense readies to face the defense Saturday morning.
Jacquizz Rodgers is not the complacent type, and knows if he wants to be in Heisman Trophy consideration he must improve his game.
Success appeared to come easy for him the first two seasons with Oregon State football team, but there was a lot of hard work put in behind the scenes, more so than what the team did together.
So he needed honest advice in ways to improve.
“People would ask me what would I have to improve,” Rodgers said. “I have to get better in the film room and learn how to read defenses. And I’m trying to do something extra after every practice and translate that into the game.”
On a trip home to Richmond, Texas, over the summer he met with one of uncles, who helped in his upbringing, Rodney Williams.
Rodgers asked for a critique, and he got one that picked him apart.
“We went over a lot of stuff not seen,” Rodgers said. “We also looked at the stats. He called me overrated. I was held under 100 yards four times against Pac-10 teams and averaged 71 yards when not over 100, and the team lost most of those games.”
Then they looked deeper into how he was stopped. Rodgers realized he has to anticipate where defenses will try to stop him and have a counter in mind before the snap.
Rodgers and his brother and teammate James Rodgers enhanced their training in response. They also studied the little nuances of the game together with their uncle.
They’ve been bonded together through their football careers, and the shared success at OSU makes them an interesting story. And that was even picked on.
“My uncle said if we didn’t have the same last name we wouldn’t get the same recognition,” Jacquizz Rodgers said.
The Rodgers brothers use their sibling rivalry to make each other better. It’s heated, and over petty stuff at times, but James doesn’t plan to let up on Jacquizz just because he’s a Heisman hopeful.
He’s turning up the pressure instead.
“I’m not treating him any different,” James said. “We are still going to compete.”
The plan worked so far.
For more on Quizz and his Heisman hopes, and OSU’s history with the Heisman, check out Sunday’s edition of the GT.
Here’s a link to my Saturday story in GT on how the TEs will be used this season.
The offensive line and defensive line go at Saturday morning at practice.
17 comments
angrybeaver says:
May 18, 2012
1. He could have begun the transition once #45 left the team. Guys change positions all the time. If you believe never playing a snap at a position means you can never play the position, you'd need to explain the hundreds of successful transitions in college football every year.
2. It's really not that much different than safety other than shedding blocks. A FS should be able to make this transition pretty easily. You frequently see players recruited as safeties switching to LB.
3. I don't think fans want Tuimaunei starting either, but the coaches seem to like him. He's been pushing Collins for the starting job in camp. The problem with this point is that it presumes Collins is a good safety, and in reality he isn't that much better than Tuimaunei, though I concede he is a little better.
The talent deficit at MLB is so great the team would be better taking the hit at safety and starting Tuimaunei (can't believe I'm saying this) to upgrade MLB.
We all hoped Wilson and Robinson would come on strong, but they are not progressing in camp. Based on all reports, they sound a year away from being viable players.
Ted0 says:
May 18, 2012
1. Sure he could've transitioned then, but he didn't. I didn't say he couldn't ever play at the position I'm just saying the coaches wouldn't want to do it so late with him having really no knowledge of the position.
2. Yeah sure you see safeties switch to a LB position, but probably not very often to the starting MLB position. You're also forgetting again that the MLB has to make calls for the defense to make adjustments. Something Collins would have less experience at than anybody currently at MLB and it's one of the more important responsibilities for theposition.
3. I think coaches would like kim more as the #3 Safety than starting safety. I also haven't read anything , or atleast if you're going by Cliff's blog, indicating Tuimaunei is challenging Collins for the starting job. I read once that soley on one day he stood out or was making good plays, but that doesn't mean he's all of a sudden cometing with Colins for a starting position.
Ted0 says:
May 18, 2012
There's only been 6 days of practice and only 2 in full pads so I don't know how much you expect Robinson and Wilson to progress from Spring. Robinson and Wilson either have little or no expereience playing so they probably are going to take their lumps, but Collins probably would too if he switched to MLB.
angrybeaver says:
May 18, 2012
I read that #28 was playing with the 1's for a few days and received high praise.
Back to Collins: Depth (and starting talent) at safety is better than MLB. Therefore, a switch should have been considered. They considered moving Watkins, so I'm not sure why they wouldn't consider moving Collins. Collins is okay at safety…I don't have a huge issue with his ability there. It's more about the lack of ability at MLB.
Ted0 says:
May 18, 2012
Never read hat he was practicing with the 1's, but Cliff would definetley know more about it som you could be right.
Don't remember any sort of consideration during this off season about Watkins switching to LB let alone MLB unless you're talking about when he was first coming in. If that is what you're talking about and if he would've been an MLB then there's still quite a bit of difference because he would've been able to practice and learn ths position for a couple years now not just one fall camp.
I agree that the depth looks worrisome at MLB, but I really don't think Collins would be able to improve it too much even though he has the size for it because of the lack of the knowledge he has for the position. Really the only way for Robinson and Wilson to improve as players is for them to just get experience playing in actual games even though that just makes things more worrisome due to the OOC schedule.
angrybeaver says:
May 18, 2012
That uncle sounds like a smart man.
The defense is going to be bad. Cliff, can you ask why Collins was not moved to MLB.
http://angrybeavs.com/
Ted0 says:
May 18, 2012
I think I can actually answer this one partially.
1. He's never practiced a snap at the position prior to fall camp.
2. The MLB position is supposed to be the QB of the defense, the player who makes all the callsa and ajustments for the defense. Collins won't be able to learn how to do this in one fall camp and probably won't be any better than anyone currently at MLB at doing it.
3. If you move Collins to MLB who do replace him with at Safety? Watkins has only played a few games as a back up. LaGrone hasn't played at all. I don't think coaches really want to start Tuimaunei again.
ckirkpatrick says:
May 18, 2012
1. As for MLB, there is depth there. It's just young. Kevin Unga, Tony Wilson and Rueben Robinson are sophomores – two of them true sophomores. If one takes over the position, they will be the guy for three years. They are relatively even, not sucking.
2. If they did suck, Banker told me, and I put on the blog and in print that he fall back would be move Dwight Roberson to MLB
3. Safeties are not being moved because Collins, Mitchell and Suaesi are better suited for safety and have been prepped as a trio for a long time. They are the starters and nickel back.
4. Suaesi is rotating in with the first string because they will use all three regularly. Suaesi has made major strides in the spring and into the fall.
angrybeaver says:
May 18, 2012
Hardin is better suited for safety than Collins.
Move Collins to MLB, put Hardin at safety, start Jordan Poyer at CB. Or just put Jordan Poyer at FS and put Collins at MLB.
Anyway, it's moot because the Beavers are not creative or adaptive enough to switch guys around when someone quits the team. Can you tell this is frustrating?
Ted0 says:
May 18, 2012
I think it's more moot due to those changes being pointless and unnecessary. Why move Hardin? Sure he's got the size of a safety, but CB is a harder position to learn and Banker gives them a lot of responsibility on stopping the run. Having a guy with his size and athletic ability at CB doesn't occur very often. Why move Poyer to FS? He's still learning the CB position, which again is more difficult and important that FS. He too is very athletic, which is more important to have at CB than FS. I think all the reasons why not to move Collins have already been listed. I'm all for moving Robserons to MLB if that's what it comes too
angrybeaver says:
May 18, 2012
"Why move so and so?"
Because if you do, you can get your fastest/strongest/most athletic players on the field. Any other scenario doesn't allow for that. Roberson does not have the lateral speed for MLB. Just remember this conversation when the season starts and opponents RBs plow through the center of our defense, okay?
Ted0 says:
May 18, 2012
Yes because if that happens that somehow just proves that if the coaches had done things your way all of it could've been prevented. Sure that makes total sense. This isn't like a video game where you can just switch players positions and that's it. Players have to learn things at certain positions and some positions are more complicated to learn. You act as if they just switch positions then they'll just automatically know everything that comes with the position.
angrybeaver says:
May 18, 2012
And you act like this is rocket science. Hundreds of players switch positions every year. It should have been initiated when #45 quit; I'm not saying it should be done now.
"Yes because if that happens that somehow just proves that if the coaches had done things your way all of it could've been prevented."
No, but it will prove what they did was wrong.
Ted0 says:
May 18, 2012
And a lot of those changes are done when those players changing positions wouldn't be expected to play too much let alone start right away. Sure an extra spring would've helped, but it's no gaurantee they've played better than the guys who are already there. Especially if you're going to move Collins to MLB considering there's a big difference between MLB and SS.
"No, but it will prove what they did was wrong. "
No it doesn't. For all anybody knows switching players around could've made things worse.
angrybeaver says:
May 18, 2012
"No it doesn't. For all anybody knows switching players around could've made things worse. "
Or better. Bottom line: If the outcome of their decision is undesirable, then their decision was wrong. If your argument is "degrees of 'wrongness'" then we'll end there.
Ted0 says:
May 18, 2012
Your argument basically isn't really any different, which is just "degrees of rightness". Also there is no wrong decision there's just different decisions and certain ones make more sense , which none of the ones you suggested made
angrybeaver says:
May 18, 2012
Ah, you're right, putting the best athletes on the field makes little sense.