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Hall of Famer [20518]
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Anybody who wonders why we "reloaded" so well....
Sep 17, 2017, 9:54 AM
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...need to simply check the participation chart.
Playing 70 of 72 guys - most of them in meaningful snaps, while the game was still in doubt - who traveled with you just a couple weeks after playing 91 guys, well...that's why Clemson is flexing such impressive depth right now.
The biggest difference between high school and college is mental - adjusting to the heightened pressure of the games, along with adjusting to the increased speed of the game. The more times you can expose a guy to live bullets as a young player, the better chance he has of successfully making that adjustment before he becomes a starter. The almost seamless way our guys have adjusted is something to behold...and while it may drive people crazy to see Clemson flipping our OL sets in the third quarter while up less than 20 to see if, say, Taylor Hearn can play left tackle, or getting extensive PT for a bevvy of guys we've never heard of - well, how else are guys supposed to learn?
Dabo's been doing that for years...at the detriment of lopsided scores and style points. But it makes his team a vastly better team...and really blurs the lines between the "haves" and "have-nots" on the squad. You're all just players, go out and play when you're called upon. All of ya.
Development. Development. Development. IMHO that word is - by far - the least underrated consideration when considering the strength of a program. I wasn't sold on Louisville - at all - and wrote a pretty slamming post about Petrino and his program last week - precisely because Petrino is a slash-and-burn artist who doesn't care jack about developing players, and it's now Year 4 of his regime. That word "regime" has rarely applied to Petrino in the past, actually, because he switches jobs so fast. And he's always been known for leaving gutted locker rooms with no talent behind him, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
You could see exactly what Petrino was about when he kept his first-stringers in well until the end of the game, padding his stats. I would doubt he played more than 40 or so guys yesterday, and even some of those exclusively on special teams. Why? It makes Petrino look personally better, and pads his own resume as a coach. It helps his own resume...but it will leave Louisville in a gaping hole when he leaves because without Lamar Jackson, what has he left them?
You wanna know what Dabo's doing? A lot of it really is simple - he's playing all his guys. We could have won that game 65-7 last night if we'd cared to, we had it that in hand...but instead Dabo elected to get his young players invaluable PT.
And guess what: when it comes time for these very same young players to start, they will have already seen live bullets in a dozen games; they will have already played a couple hundred snaps. The difference was manifest last night...it seemed like we literally had an endless wave of young players roaring forth off the bench...whereas it very much appeared Louisville had no bullets left in their gun. The difference was utterly transparent to every fan in attendance...which was exactly why there was scarcely a Louisville fan in sight by the fourth quarter.
The gulf between the programs is gaping.
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Orange Blooded [3650]
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Re: Anybody who wonders why we "reloaded" so well....
Sep 17, 2017, 9:59 AM
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Excellent post.
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Legend [16472]
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Good points. Still kills my nerves!***
Sep 17, 2017, 10:00 AM
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CU Medallion [51524]
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Newspring slush fund***
Sep 17, 2017, 10:00 AM
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CU Guru [1593]
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Re: Anybody who wonders why we "reloaded" so well....
Sep 17, 2017, 10:03 AM
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Also this helps getting good players when they know the Coaches will reward them for hard work.
Dabo gives the kids a shot for all their hard work.
It's not hard to like a coach like that.
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Orange Blooded [3633]
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Petrino was building depth, too. He
Sep 17, 2017, 10:05 AM
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even let the backup QB play some......oh......wait. Petrino is a ######!
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Legend [17577]
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A thousand TU's Q,
Sep 17, 2017, 10:09 AM
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if only I were able.
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Legend [16364]
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Re: Anybody who wonders why we "reloaded" so well....
Sep 17, 2017, 11:40 AM
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Well stated. The commentators picked up on the fact that the starters were the first to congratulate backups when they came off the field as well. They clearly understand that the emphasis on development maintains the elite-level productivity of the team. Awesome.
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Recruit [93]
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Re: Anybody who wonders why we "reloaded" so well....
Sep 17, 2017, 4:53 PM
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And Dabo expects the third and fourth stringers to play at the level of the first. He gives the players the opportunity to play but holds them to a high standard. It is the perfect combination for continued success.
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