GDT: @ Southeastern Louisiana (9/21/24)

[jakejc795]

We've been told all that they aren't SELA anymore, but what do they put on their score header ?

Those SELA-outs

[Kemo]

Chase Mason with the 1 yard TD run. 41-0 SDSU with under 5 minutes to play.

[Kemo]

Mason takes a knee and the clock expires.

41-0, Jackrabbits. Final.

[JacksFan80]

Starting to get worried about Mark. 7/17 for 65 yards and an INT is not a good stat-line. He has been really off through four games and needs to get things figured out and fast. No reason a 5th year senior with as much experience as him should be playing so poorly. Fortunately he hasn’t had to play well the last two weeks, but conference play won’t be so forgiving.

On the plus side Vorhees is a stud and the run game really kicked in to gear today. Hopefully that can continue. Defense was also great, complete turn around from Oklahoma State.

[LetsGoRabbits]

Starting to get worried about Mark. 7/17 for 65 yards and an INT is not a good stat-line. He has been really off through four games and needs to get things figured out and fast. No reason a 5th year senior with as much experience as him should be playing so poorly. Fortunately he hasn’t had to play well the last two weeks, but conference play won’t be so forgiving.

On the plus side Vorhees is a stud and the run game really kicked in to gear today. Hopefully that can continue. Defense was also great, complete turn around from Oklahoma State.

well, obviously, I cannot predict the future, but the more I watch, I am thinking the best thing for them to do is to NOT freak out about Mark and the passing game. I think it is very natural to think things just exactly like what you said. 5th year, lots of experience, yada, yada, yada
related but slightly off topic- plenty of talk about him getting a LOT o money to stay. could that be an issue? feeling pressure to live up to it?

but anyway, I have no way to know about the money thing but what i do know beyond a doubt, is that when he took the team to Frisco in his true Freshman year, he was throwing the ball to a couple fellas named Janke. he was handing the ball off to a fella named Davis. and he had a good good buddy named Greenfield and another REAL REAL nasty blocking son of a gun named McCormick who usually tried to stay between him and any trouble

now is there one part of that that makes the most difference?? i can guess? you can guess too. when I am guessing, I lean the most on the fact that he threw a LOT and by that i mean A LOT!!!!! of balls to the Jankes. now the Jankes are gone and he is learning how to rely on other people and learn how they work and what works best with them.

so back to where I started. just dont freak out about the passing. maybe you heard of a school from the north who won a few big games by running and running and running and then running a bit more and they almost barely threw the ball at all

running game looked great last week and again today. Mark can be part of that too and we have another fella who can play QB who can run too. the defense is improving and looking like they are going to turn into a pretty nasty bunch. maybe Jimmy thinks that 9 ish runs a game from last year is not quite good enough and they can do better

lean on the run game, the defense, and the special teams, and let the pass game find its mojo naturally without freaking out and trying to force it. my guess is this team is going to be fine

[LetsGoRabbits]

also a new OC and new QB coach. Mark had Lujan with him the whole way until now. and remember Lujan first game as OC? i remember a lot of folks wanting his head after the Iowa game and thinking we should have NEVER let Eck out fo the building
then we had a few more rough games and people were saying what the heck is wrong with Mark! what the heck is wrong with Lujan!! then we had a handful of penalties in the first half of a game up in Fargo and some people were ready to fire everyone

as I recall, that year turned out to be a pretty good one for the Ol Rabbits

I bet if anyone goes back and looks at game day threads from early season last year, you will read about plenty of worries from last year too

take a breath. some folks around this program have proven that they understand how a season works and what it takes to have a team ready for the most important games. they are going to get this figured out

[Prairiehaas]

After the game vs. Augie I am happy to see the team come out, throw a shut out and ring up a bunch of points. It was very significant improvement.

On the passing game yesterday; SLU in four games, two vs FBS schools, is giving up less than 200 passing yards per game. SLI is giving up more rushing yards per game than passing yards. And as Matt Zimmer noted in his write up the passing numbers weren't helped by dropped passes. I have trouble believing Gronowski has all of the sudden become a bad passing QB. I think he will jell with his new receivers and the new OCs soon.

Meanwhile, the Jackrabbit defense is looking stout. And the running game? We all remember what Stigs said about a good running game.

[bigticket1]

After the game vs. Augie I am happy to see the team come out, throw a shut out and ring up a bunch of points. It was very significant improvement.

On the passing game yesterday; SLU in four games, two vs FBS schools, is giving up less than 200 passing yards per game. SLI is giving up more rushing yards per game than passing yards. And as Matt Zimmer noted in his write up the passing numbers weren't helped by dropped passes. I have trouble believing Gronowski has all of the sudden become a bad passing QB. I think he will jell with his new receivers and the new OCs soon.

Meanwhile, the Jackrabbit defense is looking stout. And the running game? We all remember what Stigs said about a good running game.

Maybe it's just me, but Mark doesn't seem to be striding into the pass. Lots of back foot throws, or almost throwing flat-footed. He's short-hopped at least half a dozen throws to open receivers.

[Prairiehaas]

If you watch Gronowski setting up for a pass this season you may see him dancing a bit. I call it happy feet. This looks to me like he is a bit uncomfortable. The passing game is not pitch and catch. It is instead throw now to where the receiver will be open. When a QB is not certain the receiver will be where expected, or will be open at that spot, there can be a hesitation. Gronowski had a huge luxury with the Jankes, Kraft, Heinz in that he could throw to the expected spots with confidence. So far this season that is the case only with Wilde.

Give it time.

[JackJD]

The SLU website game recap refers to the Jackrabbits as the "Lumberjacks". Hmmm. That's a new one. Northern AZ can send us a thank you.

[Prairiehaas]

SFA also.

[jbjack]

Maybe it's just me, but Mark doesn't seem to be striding into the pass. Lots of back foot throws, or almost throwing flat-footed. He's short-hopped at least half a dozen throws to open receivers.

I'm not a QB coach but I see the same thing. I hate to sound like a broken record, but the preseason articles about Mark's return suggested areas that he needed to work on for the next level and I wonder if the "adjustments" to his mechanics are having a detrimental effect. Probably the most glaring example was the INT against UIW before the half. If Mark throws that ball 10 more yards, our receiver has a good play on the ball in the back of the endzone. But while Mark had the time and space to step into his throw, he back footed it and it was a toss up for UIW defender.

[JackrabbitGuy]

If you watch Gronowski setting up for a pass this season you may see him dancing a bit. I call it happy feet. This looks to me like he is a bit uncomfortable. The passing game is not pitch and catch. It is instead throw now to where the receiver will be open. When a QB is not certain the receiver will be where expected, or will be open at that spot, there can be a hesitation. Gronowski had a huge luxury with the Jankes, Kraft, Heinz in that he could throw to the expected spots with confidence. So far this season that is the case only with Wilde.

Give it time.

I agree. In addition, all of those receivers had one thing in common amoungst their collective skills - a big catch radius. They were all well above average at being able to secure passes that weren't thrown perfectly or were thrown in a certain area to avoid defenders. I don't blame anyone who has concerns, I do as well. But I still fall back on the collective landscape of changes from last season to this season as the reason for this surprising lack of passing production from Mark and this offense.

1. Loss of Janke's, Heinz at one time.
2. New pieces and positions for offensive line
3. Loss of offensive coordinator Lujan
4. Adjustment period for Co-offenseive coordinators this year

Despite my concern, I am still with coach Rogers in that the last guy I am worried about in terms of improving and getting to where they need to be in the conference season is Mark. He and the team will attack this bye week, improve themselves and get ready for Missouri Valley games. Let's go Rabbits!

[SUPERBUNNY]

The bye week is a little early this year but probably comes at a good time. Will give the team some time to work on ironing things out. Also, a chance to get heal up a bit headed into conference season.

The great news is we have a defense playing at a high level and have maybe found our next great running back. Anyone else having Ranek flashbacks? Love how hard Vorhees runs!

The game against UNI will be telling. If the pass game starts clicking then watch out, the Jacks will be really hard to beat.

SUPERBUNNY