On the Agenda: Jake's Rule of 3

Practice, Practice, Practice

What would you focus on in practice today if you were Head Coach Norries Wilson? First, I would keep it short and simple; people tend to be able to digest no more than three points at a time. And I know what my three points would be after Saturday night's disappointing loss to Fordham:



1) Take Back the Line of Scrimmage

Both lines were pushed around way too much by the Rams. Xavier Martin and Jonte Coven broke big runs, but even if they had been slow, it looked like they had a 2-3 yards of open space in front of them every time they took a handoff.

On offense, the Lion running game was again snuffed out time and again by defenders in our backfield. On one play, Earl Hudnell almost took the handoff from Craig Hormann he was back there so quickly.


One bright note was the pass blocking, as the Lions only allowed one sack despite the fact that Fordham knew we were going to pass most of the game and blitzed with great abandon. Jordan Davis made one particular block to save a sack that was a great example of a player sacrificing everything for the team. Hormann was pressured quite a bit, but I thought the adjustments that were not made to counter the Fordham run defense were made to keep Hormann from getting pushed around.


2) Finish Your Tackles

It doesn't get much more important than this.

During the broadcast I alluded to Columbia's long history of missed tackles... a history that was thankfully not a part of the 2006 season. I love traditions, but that's one I wanted to see die and stay dead.



3) It's not the End of the World

With such a young team, the danger of the players taking this first loss too hard is a real possibility. Wilson and the other coaches have to make sure they whip these kids into shape without breaking their confidence. This Saturday's game against is against a Marist team that will be the weakest opponent on the schedule and it should serve as a confidence booster, but it also could be a dangerous "let down" game.