Does Russell ever pass from under center?
All I saw was the second half of this game, but every pass was from the shotgun.
I liked what I saw of Alabama's receiver, D.J. Hall, and I liked what I saw of John Parker Wilson, too.
LaRon Landry was pretty much invisible in that game.
Ya know, on the 2nd defensive series, Landry came flying in and tracked down a back for a short gain. Good looking play. Last time I saw him do anything.
I'll tell you one thing. We need to get JRuss this year, because there will be no room on the bandwagon next year for a QB, cause we're all gonna be wanting the DT from LSU,
Glenn Dorsey. Man, line this boy up next to Terd.....he was LSU's best defender in this game. And he's a quick one, a Warren Sapp-type. Had 59 tackles, and 8 1/2 TFL this past season. The first jihad of 2008.
Anyway, on to Russell:
Yeah, Jack, in the first half I'd say it was 40% shotgun, I'm guessing they went to the shotgun more because Bama was generating a nice pass rush.
You guys aren't going to believe this, but
I liked what I saw. It's true.
Hey, it's tough not to. Take the second series:
1st down: Russell lines up over center, drops back throws a 10-yard out to the wide side of the field. A pass he'll have to make a thousand times in the pros. The ball is to the outside, hits the receiver in stride, a frozen rope. Bang,9 yard gain. Effortless. To Bowe, by the way.
2nd down: Russell drops back, immediate pressure forces him to his left. On the move to his left, he thinks about taking off, spots Doucet crossing the middle, and hits him in stride. Doucet gains an extra 10 yards. Right handed QB, moving to his left, zipping a catchable ball to a man in stride on a crossing pattern? That's a tough, tough pass to make. And he's made htat more than once. That's the benifit of arm strength, boys and girls. It's not just for showing off. There are QB's in the league that can't make that throw, cause they don't have the arm strength.
Next pass: Russell drops back, the LE comes free. Doucet is coming across the middle left to right on....almost looked like a screen, but it wasn't. Just a little drag route. Russell calmy lofts the ball over the DE, into Doucet's arms, and he takes off running.
I think the guy's pocket awareness is exceptional. He is always looking to make the pass, even when the run is there. Seeing him do this a lot, scramble and then make a throw, it's like you never see him panic, you know?
One of the announcer made a good point (Mike Patrick did the play-by-play, I think I'm the only person that liked him). Whoever the color guy was, he said he talked to the LSU O-Coordinator, and the guy brought up a good point. He said JaMarcus had exceptional touch, and the coach thought it was because his hands were so dang large. The coach went on and on about his large hands, and that he felt it was a major advantage, and the guy just had more control over the ball. No idea if there's anything to it, but I gotta tell you, JRuss throws a very catchable ball.
Jack, you caught the 2nd half, anything you didn't like?
