Count me among those in the "Not Worried About It" column.
The big plays aren't the worrisome part. Its the 54 plays for 1 yard or less that is most alarming. And thats against Fresno and an FCS school.
Yes, the big plays are not the problem. It's the other 54.
Those big plays are liable to lessen some when we face stiffer competition, and can no longer get by on pure athletic talent.
Granted, 1-yard plays on 1st-and-goal, 2nd-and-1, or 3rd-and-1 situations are not negative. But if it isn't one of those situations, it's a big negative.
So far what something like this tells me is that we have the most misleadingly good statistics of probably any team in the nation. The averages are going to even things out, but the underlying story is that we struggle to get anything going at all, but then we hit the home run. Few would project the latter to continue happening at the rate it has been, and that is why this is something to worry about.
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I was going to say I am not that worried about Reed, because McNeil was often the outlet/checkdown guy that Taylor never got to last year. And Reed is the deep threat.
But then I remembered the interception (0:28)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9nXBkFXq2s&t=28s
That play makes my stomach turn. Reed is open for at least 7 yards, if not a first down or more. When they ran that play in the 4th quarter Taylor did hit Reed, for what it's worth.