Maybe next year it’s someone else, one of our taller young guys perhaps, so I think they should play whoever they think is the best at this moment. If we were in development mode we’d be playing younger players generally, which we’re not.
I too felt better after watching the game again. We were in the game through three quarters, against a very good team.

O line not that depleted, Lamson was back but at the left guard spot he lost in 2019 to Ford. Banks is at right tackle, as the one reserve now starting.
I’m not sure it’s easier to pass block than run block for these guys. Traditionally the teams with really heavy linemen are more designed for pass offenses and lighter quicker linemen are more suited for run blocking. Slostang told us in the spring that Polys tackles were too short for a passing team and ours are 6’3, 6’4” like their “too short” guys were. Running gives the smaller quicker guys a chance to be aggressors.

Gilliam had 2.2 yards per carry at half time.

I think in this game we got away from the play mix we have to use. We don’t have a QB who we’re going to be able to just live off his arm. In the spring and in the Tulsa game our play mix was weighted in favor of runs. They didn’t work at first against Tulsa but did at the end of the game. We’ve got to be able to run between the tackles to some extent, we have running backs in Gilliam and Larison who excel in it, now we have to commit to it. If we can’t do it successfully we won’t win anyway. That’s the kind of team we have.

He also got burned often. I think he was the guy that allowed a simple toss for a TD to the front corner of the end zone Lots of times DBs get tackles after allowing a catch. That makes sense sometimes but in the end zone not so much.

Budgett. He was subbed out but, maybe just a normal rotation, maybe for reasons Marsh said.. Was back later. I don’t think Harlson played

What would a definitive QB look like? Someone who doesn’t get blamed when the offense gains 2 yards a carry until the fog comes in? Someone who isn’t responsible for defensive backs playing off players in the end zone so a TD is a simple pass and catch? Someone who generates a pass rush? Or just maybe a better version of Eric Barriere who can overcome all those flaws? Jake couldn’t do it in a few tries.

For some, education is a distraction from the college experience.

I know, that’s why I said both Harrell and Vaughn are gone next year and we need some of the young guys to shine.
They’ve recruited tall wide receivers they just haven’t played due to the players in front of them. But those are big shoes to fill. Anyone know what Granfor’s injury is or was?

Drawing a pretty fine distinction, with a need for someone whose 6’3 or taller as a deep threat when our deep threat is 6’2”.
Maybe he should change shoe brands?

we have a lot of of wide receivers.
Cloyd shares #20 with Poerio. Stats confused.
Thorpe’s best use is as a tight end.
Next year we won’t have Harrell and Vaughn, so some of the young players will have to shine.

I think it’s just a reflection of high school scouting being imperfect combined with a tendency to undervalue short quarterbacks. Barriere was a 24/7 three star recruit and a two star on Rivals. USC probably wasn’t interested

I haven’t looked it up but I bet those guys added weight in their college careers.
The typical approach is to recruit big framed high school players and have them add weight in college. Not what we do.

I suppose from the extracted quotes he had no comment on the offense besides Lan Larison?
Their offense had a good night, probably about average for them. The surprise was how their defense did. That’s the “news” out of this game. Larison’s heroics we’re mostly special teams

The problem isn’t our season averages, it’s that we fell off in productivity as the season progressed.

We’ve recruited some sought after offensive linemen in the last few years, but they haven’t earned playing time. Our offensive linemen are light for this era of football. Most don’t put on weight after they get here. Nico Sarale is an example, had nine offers; came in at 6’4” 260 lbs. now four years later he’s at 269. That’s borderline for being an offensive tackle at this level.
I edited this post because Lamson did play, but not at right tackle. I think he was at left guard.

maybe Pint didn’t want to share his night with the seniors

This one was beyond where a few plays or calls going our way would have made a difference.
Our offense consisted of occasional big plays squandered by not being able to follow up with a first down. O’keefe’s 35 yard reception to the 28, followed by four plays that can’t get 10 yards an example. The Trent Tompkins drive near end of third quarter where we had first and ten at the fifteen and went backwards. Our run plays were almost as likely to lose yardage as gain it. Looked like we were back in the non scholarship days playing a team that was physically better, only we didn’t have Bob Biggs playing QB.

According to the box score, Lamson played. So we were just down one offensive lineman.
So perhaps that’s not the issue. Maybe we didn’t run more because of the way EW lined up. Maybe it’s just the pressure of expecting to have to score a lot that led to us abandoning the run. Basically our running game had no early success and was virtually abandoned, making us one dimensional. We can’t win like that.

In the spring and even in the Tulsa game we consistently tried to run the ball. In the Tulsa game Gilliam and Larison combined for 34 carries. In this game, Gilliam and Larison carried the ball 9 times. Why the change?
One contributing factor to us winning the fourth quarter in other games this season is that we wore the defense down. Teams do that mostly with running plays because they give the offensive line opportunities to knock people around. Not much of that tonight.
How much of this is due to not having Ford and Lamson is a question.
We were very reminiscent of many Davis teams over the years that have a lot of finesse plays and good skill players but get dominated in the trenches. There is no quick fix for that.

The total inability to run the ball is the problem. Teams need a basic set of plays that work and then they add deception on top of that. We’re a team without the meat and potatoes.

We lack simple bread and butter plays that can gain 3-4 yards. That makes every first down a struggle. I suppose some of that is two linemen out but the subs are veterans.