Quarterbacks: C+
Brennan Armstrong didn’t look ready to play, at all confident, before going out following an ugly helmet-to-helmet hit in the second quarter.
Armstrong was 6-of-9 passing for 57 yards, was picked twice – the first on what looked to be miscommunication between the QB and wideout Terrell Jana, the second on a classic late, over the middle ball that was also tipped at the line.
Enter backup Lindell Stone, whose confidence with the coaching staff was such that they brought in grad transfer Keytaon Thompson to compete with Armstrong in camp for the starting job.
With Thompson, reportedly dealing with a shoulder injury, now trying his hand at wideout, Stone got the call when Armstrong went down, and availed himself … fine.
Numbers-wise, Stone was 30-of-54 passing for 230 yards and three TDs, and a picksix.
Watching him, you could see why coaches alternately praise the hell out of him for being a coach on the field, and also took to the waiver wire to staff up the QB room.
Just not much arm strength there.
But he knows the system, and everybody that knows him swears by him.
Running game: D
Sorry, being brutal here, but also real.
State’s 3-3 Stack had been gashed for 185 yards per game coming in.
Saturday’s output – 82 yards on 29 tries – is unacceptable.
There’s a reason Stone had 54 throws in 35 minutes of game time.
Wideouts: B-
Big games from Billy Kemp IV (10 catches on 16 targets, 82 yards) and Terrell Jana (9 catches on 19 targets, 111 yards).
Offensive line: D
See above about the running game not being able to get going. The line also allowed three sacks.
Defensive front seven: C-
No sacks, no hurries on Pack QB Devin Leary, and State ran for 179 yards on 42 totes.
Secondary: C
Leary had pedestrian numbers – 11-of-25 passing, 184 yards, two TDs, one INT.
As has been the case, too many big plays – six completions of 17 yards or more.
Special teams: zero.
Not F. Zero.
Two timeouts burned in the first quarter because the punt team didn’t have enough guys in formation.
A punt blocked. Another one shanked for 19 yards.
A kickoff out of bounds.
Two kickoffs returned, neither of which got back to the 25.
Ricky Brumfield is a heckuva nice guy, but if he was a special-teams coach in the NFL or SEC, he’d be updating his resume.
Analysis by Chris Graham
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