1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Friday “Football Questions in San Diego”
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“Questions Worth Asking”
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CHARGERS….This is a pretty talented offense that Philip Rivers is running, now averaging (399YPG) and that’s without any contributions from their tright ends. Think where they might be if Hunter Henry had not gone down?
NFL-MVP….You could root hard for Rivers to win the award, but the monster season Chiefs young phenom QB-Patrick Mahomes (41TD) is putting up, and the career records Drew Brees of the Saints, and the legendary season of Rams QB-Jared Goff will likely relegate Rivers to a 3rd or 4th place finish.
CHARGERS MVP….Yes Rivers, with RB-Melvin Gordon a strong second, followed by the highly productive WR-Keenan Allen.
UNSUNG MVP…Might well be OC-Mike Pouncey. What an acquisition in terms of productivity, leadership, fire, toughness. Have not had this type of trust upfront since the Nick Hardwick days.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR…Lots of candidates, but Derwin James, the big play safety has to be right up there for consideration. Sometime safety, sometime linebacker, always making plays, downfield, and even in the backfield.
GOODBYE WHIS-NO….Ken Whisenhunt, thought to be going home, to his Alma Mater-Georgia Tech as head coach, won’t be. He withdrew after his first interview. He’s done a masterful job, surrounded by the greatness of Rivers.
HELLO BOWL GAME….San Diego State lost 4-of its last five games, and still got to a bowl game, where they play Ohio University out of the Mid American Conference. This is not the same Aztecs team we have seen in recent seasons. Rocky Long rebuffed comments about the metrics of his team being down in virtually all key categories this year compared to the last couple of years. Numbers don’t lie, neither do 4-losses in 5-seasons. Do they?
AZTECS-BOBCATS…When they get to the Frisco Bowl in Texas, SDSU will face an Ohio team with the same personality, run the football, and play strong defense upfront. The Bobcats have over 3100-yards rushing with QB-Nathan Rourke, lead back AJ Oueltte, and two other backs. Can the Aztecs 3-3-5 package shutoff this run?
OLD SCHOOL FOOTBALL…..Frank Solich, the Ohio coach, the former Nebraska boss, is the oldest coach in the country (74). Long is not far behind (65). It’s not age that makes them great, it’s experience. Right?
BYE WEEK…The last time Long had a week to get his team ramped up, SDSU went into Boise and choked off the Broncos, QB-Brett Rypien and RB-Alex Mattison. Given two full weeks he may have some tricks up his sleeve for Ohio’s spread-read option package. Can he do it again with this struggling team he has?
SOMETHING MISSING…You cannot get away from all the end of season losses, and player rumblings about the lockeroom attitude and lack of veteran player leadership. Maybe it was an abberation, only time will tell. But something is not right onthe 2nd floor of the football offices at SDSU?
MISSING USD….Oh I wish there was a way USD football could be truly ranked as an NCAA-Division III-team, not a non scholarship 1-AA school. Could you imaging record setter Anthony Lawrence and the Torerors lining up to play annual champion Mt Union, or Wisconsin-Whitewater in the semi-finals of the Division III playoffs. AD-Bill McGillis-fight for change?
SADNESS….Thoughts go out to legendary Chargers coach Bobby Ross over the loss of his nephew Drew Ross, killed last week in Afghanistan. He was a career officer, and on his second tour when he and 2-soldiers were killed by an IED explosion. It reminds us, freedom int the US is not free.
SADNESS….Former Chargers team trainer Gary Losse has passed of Parkinson’s at age 69. He took care of Bolts players from 1981-thru-1998. He was caring, inventive and troubled. His medical career was sidetracked when he became addicted to painkillers, a fact he hid from other team physicians. He had suffered from catastrophic knee injuries while quarterbacking at Wisconsin. He left football, entered medicine, and evolved into a special surgical career. Sadly the football issues impacted his health issues and his career.
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