If Tavon Austin declares, he can play for me. Best player on the field tonight.
I see a lot of people down on Brandon Thompson, just like I saw a lot of people down on Quinton Coples. But listen, when your team around you are bad, and you're a defensive lineman, there's only so much you can do. You do your job, you mind your gaps, you penetrate and you rock people with your strengths, you take care of the ball carrier when he comes shooting for your gap...but I'm not sure what else you're supposed to do when the rest of your teammates aren't doing that. Andre Branch is severely overrated, the rest of the DLs and LBs are playing with almost zero gap control, and many of them are trying to do other players' jobs.
Bruce Irvin continues to be a conundrum to me, like Dontay Moch. I don't know what to do with this guy. He's such a bad run defender his own COLLEGE team has made him a part time player. And you can see why as he blows his gap on that Andre Ellington long TD run at the beginning of the game. Is he a 3-4 OLB? I don't think so. We're talking maybe an Antwan Barnes type situational guy, except he's really only got one move and then a lot of mobility to run around and chase the ball.
Tavon Austin is the real deal. Don't think he's coming out but man is he good. And Sammy Watkins already is very good but will be massively better in coming years.
There are some offensive linemen on that West Virginia team that I'm going to have to look at. Some of them have been playing extremely well. Redshirt freshman Quinton Spain...he's only rotating in and out but he's got a future, I'm telling ya. I'm going to have to get some tape and watch Don Barclay.
