After the Vols lost Da'Rick Rodgers for the year, folks wondered who would pose a threat to opposing defenses opposite Justin Hunter. Lets call that question answered. The JUCO transfer Patterson stepped it up in a big way against the Wolfpack, and simply looked uncoverable at times. At 6'3", 205 lbs, Patterson has both the size and skills necessary to take attention off Hunter (who had 9 grabs of his own in week 1), and should help make this Tennessee offense one of the sneaky good units in the nation.
On a night where the Spartans were in a tough battle with the Boise State Broncos, MSU really needed to rely on the running game to get this win. New QB Andrew Maxwell was less than impressive, and if not for Bell, this game definitely would have went the other way. Bell was a workhorse, staying on the field, giving and taking a beating, while picking up a tough 210 yards to kick off the year. If he continue to produce in this manner, Sparty will continue to rise in the polls.
One of the more common positions to see Freshmen make an impact from is Running Back. With their defense not showing up for this game, the Hurricanes needed to get a good performance from their offense to beat conference rival Boston College in week 1. Freshman, Duke Johnson was the key factor to making that happen. 135 yards and 2 touchdowns is a nice week, but what made it outstanding was that he did it on only 7 carries in relief of starter Mike James. At 19+ yards per carry, the Hurricane fans have to be excited about what Johnson brings, and as Miami sports personality, Armando Salguero tweeted during the game, "If Johnson keeps this up, they will be changing his name from Duke to King very soon."
Other Week 1 Players on the Rise
Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama
Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson
Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska
No comments:
Post a Comment