Early Line on Game #1

When my money comes in, it will move more than a point...

Thanks for the update scdog. As all of my surveillance cameras at Johnson Hagood Memorial Stadium, Wilson Field, and Freshman Field have temporarily malfunctioned, here is a video of young Mr. Black playing QB. As hudl videos are not supported here, I'll just paste the link(s) below. Sorry.

JORDAN BLACK 2014-2015

He actually played 13 games at QB for the 12-1 2014 Vidalia Indians, who were the proud champions of Georgia High School Association's AA Region 2. Black was named POY in that Region and AA All-State (as a DB). While HS AA Football is a long way from College D1 FCS (even in Georgia), the Indians did have 1 quite notable win in their string of 12 straight before losing to eventual AA State Runner-Up, Greater Atlanta Christian. They knocked off Region 2 rival and eventual GA AA State Champion, Benedictine of Savannah (who defeated GAC in the AA Championship Game), 35-28, on the road, in front of a large crowd (for HS) of 5,000 at Savannah State's stadium. It seems Mr. Black played quite well in that game, per this article from the Savannah Morning News - Vidalia knocks off Benedictine in thriller . So, we know the young man can win a big Region/Conference game, on the road, playing QB, against a formidable opponent. Below are a few clips from that BIG win...

VS. BENEDICTINE

...and a few from the semi-final loss to GAC...

VS. GREATER ATLANTA

Note that in a few clips against these 2 strong teams on the road, Mr. Black has included highlights of himself playing DB, so I don't think he's gonna get all tuckered out. On the other hand, I don't see him 'welcoming' any contact in any of these clips; so it will be up to Mercer's D to find out how he responds to that - if they can catch him to get a good lick on him.

Here's another very complimentary article about Mr. Black. Except it would seen to contradict the claim about him being Army's Top QB Recruit as it was published very late in the 2014 HS season and says that he has no offers, although he had visited Army. Top recruits are typically offered in the winter before their Sr. Season or even earlier. Though, I suppose, since he didn't play QB until his Sr. Year, the Mules may have come after him hard; just much later than is typical - POY Watch: Black having MVP season for Vidalia

Bottom line - I think Mercer's Defense needs to do their 'friends' from El Cid a favor and make sure the Bellhops don't suffer through a QB controversy in their home opener the following week against their arch-rival, Furman, by ensuring that young Mr. Black does NOT have a good game in Macon on 9/1. If he does, The Citadel will win the game and they WILL have that QB controversy. No one wants those things to happen!

BTW - scdog - Any update on the injury status of backup FB, Evan McField (who led the SoCon in rushing after week 3 last year)? Reports I saw about a week ago indicated his arm is in a sling and that he would be out for 'several weeks.'

Allrighty then...if you say so.

On the other hand, Mercer's Defense, which returns all except 1 starter (a CB, who was hobbled most of the year with a hamstring injury - the only reason he didn't catch Smith on that 83 yard run) pretty well bottled up the Bellhops last year...except for that 1 play. Also, on that play, Mercer's 3rd Team NG was in the game and, unfortunately, he slanted the opposite way from the way he was supposed to slant on that play...leaving a HUGE gap at the point of attack. I know it would be nice to say that the El Cid O-Line blew open a huge hole, but that's just not what happened. But, to be fair, that's what I love about the TO Offense - because a D has to commit players to stopping the QB and the pitch...they just cannot afford that kind of mistake...or it will bite them.

But back to my point...if we take away that 1 play, The Citadel would have had 284 yards rushing in 60 attempts - a 4.73 average per rush. The Citadel averaged 5.7 yds/rush in 2015...but in the games that the boys in baby blue lost...they averaged considerably less...4.75 average/rush. So, other than that 1 play, the Mercer Defense - which will be bolstered by the returns of such veterans as LB/S LeMarkus Bailey, DE Austin Wysor, LB Kyle Trammell (all did not play in 2015 vs. El Cid, due to earlier injuries); and augmented by such newcomers as CB Eric Jackson, CB Kam Lott, CB Harrison Poole, LB Will Coneway, S Malique Fleming, LB Jonathan Ward, LB Ahmad Arnold, LB Sidney Otiwu, LB Jake Brooks, NG Dorian Kithkart, and DE Destin Guillen (I probably forgot a few) - held the vaunted El Cid rushing attack to less yards/rushing attempt than they averaged in their 4 losses last year. 1 play was a huge difference in that game last year...and it could again this year, but with the added talent and, most importantly, the additional depth now operating on the Defensive side of the ball for the Bears, there's a good chance that 1 huge play won't turn the game as it did last year.

With some of the new players I mentioned and only losing a CB (a great, but injured in 2015 one), there is no way Mercer's Defense will not be better than they were in 2015.

Comparatively, I know you cited some new Bulldog players too, but are you so certain that these new players are BETTER than Dominique Allen (the leading rusher and passer for El Cid in 2015), Vinny Miller (#4 in Total Offense in 2015), OL Mike Mabry, and 1st Team All SoCon OL Sam Frye? With Allen, Miller, McField, Brandon Eakins, Alex Glover, Shon Belton, and Craig Miller graduated or not playing, that's over 2,000 yards / 46% of last year's total rushing, who will not be on the field on in Macon in 9/1.

I guess we will see what we see.


  

We've been saying that about FUBeAR for awhile now....

Were those highlights against local church schools or local HS ??

I follow football and have never heard of some of those schools !?

Not going to be that easy against the dogs!!