This is the biggest thing people should be sweating. Doesn't matter who is taking the snaps, or toting the ball at RB, they all look mediocre/not developed/under talented/whatever due to the sieve that is the OLine. I mean as Baller Bob asked, " Can you see the strain?"
Mostly this, but Adrian has an escape ability that really does help. He escaped at least 5 sacks in the OU game alone I was at in person to witness up close. We will see how Smothers can do escaping or if Iowa has 10 sacks like a lot of teams should have had against us this year.
One thing I am hoping, as I REALLY want NU to get the win, is that Smother's inexperience might actually help. He will probably not go through (or try to) all of the progressions that AM did. I also think that his "internal QB clock" will be much quicker than AM's. Where AM would stay in the pocket too long IMO and leave yards on the field, Smothers will take off. At the first sign of pressure or pocket collapse he will be gone. He doesn't have the "pocket presence" to slide up into the pocket. If Iowa goes all in to get in the backfield, I think his inexperience will have him running early and often. At least that is what I am hoping. Our OL, is at times, offensive.
Three to four weeks of practice doesn't exactly make you smooth at it. Besides, are the same backs he got those 4 weeks with the same ones starting? Hell I've been "practicing" the guitar for years and I'm no where close to EVH lol.
Any word on Williams or Daniels being back? I said last week and will again, we will sorely miss JoJo....
To be clear, It's obviously not ideal. I'm just pointing out that because of Adrian's history and multiple season long injuries, it's not as dire as it otherwise might be.
Yeah I don't have much expectations for Smothers but if he does come out and does well. Actually I'll shut up why jinx the kid
Haha. Shhhhh.
