I was actually a little surprised at Hodges, the other RB.

He has some quickness, some giddy-up, some vision, sort of 1 cut and go.

I wouldn't be shocked if he saw the field. Maybe not as a RB, but in some form or another.

Davidson;842105111 said:

---

I was actually a little surprised at Hodges, the other RB.

He has some quickness, some giddy-up, some vision, sort of 1 cut and go.

I wouldn't be shocked if he saw the field. Maybe not as a RB, but in some form or another.

---

Hodges has a little CJ Anderson in him, tough and sneaky quick.

slider643;842104809 said:

---

Some of my thoughts:

I really think Hinder will be the QB. Goff hasn't separated himself in my view, so better to RS him. Kline and Hinder each have their strengths and weaknesses throwing the ball. But Hinder can also run and I think that will be the deciding factor. I believe we will need his threat to get our running game going. I thought there was potential in practices and scrimmages, but seeing him run live was pretty impressive. Obviously, thing can change over the break and fall practices, but that's where I think we're headed right now.

---

Hinder is definitely an exciting runner. But I was impressed with Kline's ability to throw on the run, rolling out in either direction. Given that pass protection is likely to be a problem all year, I think this is the deciding factor. If the quarterback is not a threat to hurt the opposition with the pass, it doesn't matter how good of a runner he is.

SonOfCalVa;842105060 said:

---

so, if Cal isn't blowing out Northwestern by midway through the first quarter, you'll have lots to bitch about, won't you? Have fun! :p

---

I'm just saying that there's no reason not to expect improvement before the halfway point of the season.

heartofthebear;842105057 said:

---

I am a Hinder fan, but I am hoping he does something to strengthen his arm before fall. Otherwise I don't think the running ability is enough to offset the lack of a deep ball.

---

I don't have any inside knowledge here, but generally speaking the cake is baked at this point with respect to QB arm strength. This isn't really something you can improve with strength training. Hinder will have to live or die with the arm he has right now.

Unit2Sucks;842105194 said:

---

I don't have any inside knowledge here, but generally speaking the cake is baked at this point with respect to QB arm strength. This isn't really something you can improve with strength training. Hinder will have to live or die with the arm he has right now.

---

IMO, between Kline's inconsistency, Hinder's lack of arm strength, and Goff's need to put weight on his 6'4" frame, I'm guessing Kline and Goff have the best chance to improve. But Kline can't do anything about being slightly shorter at 6'2". So I think that Goff has the best chance to improve over the summer. All he has to do is get a little more consistent and add 15 pounds. If he does that, IMO we have our QB. It isn't what I want, because I think we lose at least 1 back-up, but it's how I see it. Having said that, I see Kline and Goff going into the season as 1(a) and 1(b) and letting real games decide who proves to be the better QB.

I did not that Dykes was very upset at Kline when he took a hit running for a first down. Yet he did not get angry at the other QBs for doing the same thing.

Hmmm.

SonOfCalVa;842104905 said:

---

They weren't getting pushed back ... it's the vertical blocking scheme in which they intentionally drop back and practice doing that ... supposed to take the edge off the rush ...

So, they have more work to do .. it WAS only spring practice with mix n match to see what guys could do. BUT, lots of opportunities for people to bitch and moan, for sure :p

---

Excellent observation. The OL (at least the first group) did fine, given the limits of both the game (no cut blocks, limited help in the integrated blocking scheme from the rbs,etc.). They haven't put in much, if any, blitz pick-up schemes yet, I don't think. Reading anything more into this spring game is simply fantasy. The right building blocks are in place - one they get back the healthy small-skill players, the big-skill players will look like they are suppose to. Its a long way to August 31st.

RealDrew2;842105978 said:

---

I did not that Dykes was very upset at Kline when he took a hit running for a first down. Yet he did not get angry at the other QBs for doing the same thing.

Hmmm.

---

He was upset with the dangerous position he put himself in. Slide. IT WAS JUST PRACTICE!

heartofthebear;842105975 said:

---

IMO, between Kline's inconsistency, Hinder's lack of arm strength, and Goff's need to put weight on his 6'4" frame, I'm guessing Kline and Goff have the best chance to improve. But Kline can't do anything about being slightly shorter at 6'2". So I think that Goff has the best chance to improve over the summer. All he has to do is get a little more consistent and add 15 pounds. If he does that, IMO we have our QB. It isn't what I want, because I think we lose at least 1 back-up, but it's how I see it. Having said that, I see Kline and Goff going into the season as 1(a) and 1(b) and letting real games decide who proves to be the better QB.

---

I'm curious. Why are you so concerned about kline's height? We are talking about 6-2 vs 6-4. Its not 5-11 vs 6-4. And 6-2 is plenty tall enough. I noticed all three qbs had a batted down pass in the spring game. And all on virtually the same play - a quick throw to a short put route where there is no time to find a throwing lane. And that's the point. With no throwing lane being 6-4 is no different than 6-2.

CalGaoTe;842107151 said:

---

I'm curious. Why are you so concerned about kline's height? We are talking about 6-2 vs 6-4. Its not 5-11 vs 6-4. And 6-2 is plenty tall enough. I noticed all three qbs had a batted down pass in the spring game. And all on virtually the same play - a quick throw to a short put route where there is no time to find a throwing lane. And that's the point. With no throwing lane being 6-4 is no different than 6-2.

---

6-2 tends to be jargon for 6-0 but still height is not that big of a deal.

HungryCalBear;842104653 said:

---

This is not a "hate" on Dykes, but he did say he'd never seen defense better than offense in Spring practice. Now he's seen one.

---

I think that is a good thing. I have faith the offense will come along, but to be good we will need to combine a good offense with a good defense.

calumnus;842107209 said:

---

I think that is a good thing. I have faith the offense will come along, but to be good we will need to combine a good offense with a good defense.

---

Remember when everybody had faith that Ayoob would be good because Tedford could never put a bad QB on the field?

It wasn't a "good thing". The offense was terrible. The snaps were bad. The timing on the handoffs was bad. The timing all around was bad. They would have looked poor running drills without a defense. I'm not upset by that - they are two weeks into a whole new offense and it showed. But it was not the result of a very good showing by the defense over a good showing by the offense.

Quite frankly, I'm not optimistic about the offense this year. The Oline doesn't look to be good, and despite the myth, Dykes does not throw the clipboard on the field and produce offense. His first offense at UA ranked 57th. His first offense at LaTech ranked 60th. So, no, I don't think you can count on the offense just coming along. It's going to take time.

CalGaoTe;842107151 said:

---

I'm curious. Why are you so concerned about kline's height? We are talking about 6-2 vs 6-4. Its not 5-11 vs 6-4. And 6-2 is plenty tall enough. I noticed all three qbs had a batted down pass in the spring game. And all on virtually the same play - a quick throw to a short put route where there is no time to find a throwing lane. And that's the point. With no throwing lane being 6-4 is no different than 6-2.

---

I think part of the issue with Kline's inconsistency is that sometimes he has to get out of the pocket just to see. Usually he runs to the sideline for a short loss or gain but sometimes he makes a play of it. I've seen Hinder do this by design and with more success, but he rarely makes throws rolling out these days. I'd have to see more of Goff to know how he handles pocket pressure. In general he seems more poised.

Looperbear;842105010 said:

---

Halfway thru the season? WTF, I hope not. Didn't take JT until halfway thru the first quarter of his first game on the way to a blowout.

---

That was a terrible Baylor team. Wish we were starting off with them, and not 3 top 20 teams in the first 4 weeks.

heartofthebear;842107498 said:

---

I think part of the issue with Kline's inconsistency is that sometimes he has to get out of the pocket just to see. Usually he runs to the sideline for a short loss or gain but sometimes he makes a play of it. I've seen Hinder do this by design and with more success, but he rarely makes throws rolling out these days. I'd have to see more of Goff to know how he handles pocket pressure. In general he seems more poised.

---

You have no idea what you're talking about. No qb, 6 4 or otherwise sees over 6 6 linemen. Get off the height thing. It doesn't matter.