Position changes

Word around town is that Francis Bernard has moved to OLB and that Sae Tautu moved to DE.



I know that FB was not interested in playing defense before and refused to move in the past, but I think the coaching staff feel that he doesn't have much chance of getting into the regular rotation at RB and it's better to play than not!

I heard that it was Francis suggestion to move to D.

Bernard was, in my mind, our most solid RB last season. This makes me sad.

Tautau would be an ideal 4-3 D end. Writing on the wall?

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Micah Simon was buried on the depth chart at CB last year as a freshman. He was listed as a WR with his recruiting class. My guess is he moves back there now that some of the seniors at WR from last year have left.



With Bernard, I think the depth chart this year is such that he may get more time on the defensive side. RB/FB has Jamaal Williams, Alge Brown, Squally Canada, and Riley Burt with Toloa'i Ho Ching as a blocking back when he could stay healthy. I wonder if Detmer's offensive plan isn't going to require so many at that position so the change becomes desirable.

Man, I really don't like moving Bernard. He seemed like a great talent back there. Very powerful north-south runner. If we are indeed going to be under center all the time I would loved to see him and Williams back there. UNLESS Taysom is gonna give us some time at HB. :evil:



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Unless they've got someone else in the backfield with hands, I don't like this move. Algie dropped some critical passes last year, Jamaal had the critical drop on a shovel @UVA that led to the loss, and the rest we just don't know enough about. There's no way a Ty Detmer offense is going to try to work without passes to the backs and TEs, and Bernard was the best option we've got for reliably catching them.

This dude is going to shine at LB. He's fast. He's very physical and our LBs will dominate.

Big question mark will be the DBs. If/as they go 4-3, gotta have good DBs.

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also Fred Warner mentioned that Takitaki would be playing some DE.

Brayden Green wrote:
Tautau would be an ideal 4-3 D end. Writing on the wall?

Players said they exclusively practiced in the 4-3 today.

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Fido wrote:
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That's what we should expect from an offense that will use TEs and backs out of the backfield as receivers. I take this as a good sign.

Our backs will have to learn how to catch the ball...

Schmoe wrote:
Our backs will have to learn how to catch the ball...

Maybe this is the real reason Bernard switched to LB?



;)

SpiffCoug wrote:

Our backs will have to learn how to catch the ball...

Maybe this is the real reason Bernard switched to LB?



;)

He easily had the best hands of the bunch. :blush:

Schmoe wrote:

Schmoe wrote:
Our backs will have to learn how to catch the ball...

Maybe this is the real reason Bernard switched to LB?



;)

He easily had the best hands of the bunch. :blush:

+1 There were times I felt like Bernard was our entire short passing game. I realize that Brown and Hine did occasionally catch some, too, but what I remember were the crucial drops, such as the 4th down drop by Brown against Nebraska that killed a scoring opportunity.



Then again, without that drop, maybe we don't need a Hail Mary, and the legend of Tanner never begins at all...

Spoke to Sae Tautu's mother today at a funeral. We were in the same ward in AF way back when he was in Primary. I asked her what Sae thought of his move to DE. It wasn't his choice and he is very anxious, but willing to do what he is being asked to do. She said they absolutely "love the new coaching staff."

redneckjedi wrote:

SpiffCoug wrote:

Our backs will have to learn how to catch the ball...

Maybe this is the real reason Bernard switched to LB?



;)

He easily had the best hands of the bunch. :blush:

+1 There were times I felt like Bernard was our entire short passing game. I realize that Brown and Hine did occasionally catch some, too, but what I remember were the crucial drops, such as the 4th down drop by Brown against Nebraska that killed a scoring opportunity.



Then again, without that drop, maybe we don't need a Hail Mary, and the legend of Tanner never begins at all...

Some stats to back all this up:

Non-Bernard RBs in the passing game

19 catches on 26 targets for 97 yards and 2 TDs 0 INTs, 129.80 RER, .731 complete



Bernard:

17 catches on 20 targets for 156 yards and 2 TDs 0 INTs, 183.52 RER, .850 complete

SpiffCoug wrote:

Schmoe wrote:

Schmoe wrote:
Our backs will have to learn how to catch the ball...

Maybe this is the real reason Bernard switched to LB?



;)

He easily had the best hands of the bunch. :blush:

+1 There were times I felt like Bernard was our entire short passing game. I realize that Brown and Hine did occasionally catch some, too, but what I remember were the crucial drops, such as the 4th down drop by Brown against Nebraska that killed a scoring opportunity.



Then again, without that drop, maybe we don't need a Hail Mary, and the legend of Tanner never begins at all...

Some stats to back all this up:

Non-Bernard RBs in the passing game

19 catches on 26 targets for 97 yards and 2 TDs 0 INTs, 129.80 RER, .731 complete



Bernard:

17 catches on 20 targets for 156 yards and 2 TDs 0 INTs, 183.52 RER, .850 complete

So the difference wasn't as significant as everyone was thinking. 3 drops for Bernard, 7 drops combined between all others.

Those aren't drops. Those are incompletions. And my take away is that Bernard had almost as many catches as the others combined on 20% fewer attempts and more than double the yards and a significantly higher RER.



Bernard was MUCH more effective than any other running back in the passing game.