Upgrade or Downgrade? - Split End
by Jake Bertalotto on Jul 6, 2009 5:00 AM PDT
in Oregon State Football
17 comments
First of all, I hope everyone had a great fourth and got to blow a few things up. A couple things to hit on before we jump into football discussion.
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Now, to the real point of this post:
The Beavers had some big losses due to graduation last year, but also return some key playmakers. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at who leaves and who returns, and decide if what we have this year is an upgrade or downgrade at each position in question. Click on the player names for additional information, but the main question is whether you think Darrell Catchings is an upgrade or a downgrade over Sammie Stroughter. *Perhaps* this is an easy one to start with.
Last Year:
This Year:
The poll is important, but I'm a lot more interested in the discussion in this case. I know most of you will say that Sammie is the better of the two, but why?
--Jake (jake.buildingthedam@gmail.com)
PS: Hat-tip to Double-T Nation for the idea of this post.
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Slight downgrade
I think Catchings is going to be really good this year, but Sammie is still better.
I miss CV3000
The thing about Catchings
Is that he’s been working against the new DB’s, where Sammie basically progressed along with Hughes, Lewis, Clark, etc. We haven’t really seen Catchings at the top of his game this year versus top DB’s…. but what we do know is that he was torching the young secondary in Spring Practice and built a fairly strong bond with Canfield.
I still say slight downgrade. Sammie was just a special playmaker… I’m not sure if Catchings has “playmaker” status yet.
--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com
I say downgrade
for overall career production. Stroughter has been our #1 big play receiver for a long time and I haven’t really seen Catchings make that many big plays yet into his career. Hopefully he can have a big year next year, and if not him I’m sure somebody will step up.
by HighSchoolQuarterback on Jul 6, 2009 8:24 AM PDT reply actions
I agree with you there
To me, Catchings seems like a solid #2 Pac-10 receiver. Hopefully he starts looking like a #1 this fall… I just don’t think we’ve seen him there enough yet to call him a big-play guy. His freshman year was rocky… but it was his freshman year. We’ve still got two more years with him.
--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com
by Jake Bertalotto on Jul 6, 2009 9:00 AM PDT up reply actions
Even if he was a solid #1 Pac-10 receiver
Catchings still would have a long way to go to replace what Sammie brought in terms of all around play making (running sweeps once in awhile, returning punts, and catching the ball long, short and over the middle), and especially in my mind the leadership and that special personality Sammie brought to the program.
Sammie was that one of a kind player that you only get once in awhile, and l will say though that OSU has been very lucky to get these kinds of players on a pretty regular basis.
That said I think that Catchings will be an excellent player this season and looking forward to see what he brings, and thinking he will fill some of the gaps left open by Sammie’s departure.
-RVM
by rvm on Jul 6, 2009 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions
The punt returning was amazing
I forgot to mention that. I doubt we will see that good of a punt returner at Oregon State in a long time.
I miss CV3000
I think he will turn out to be pretty good by the time he leaves OSU, but...
I think it’s going to take a few really big plays from Catchings to make up for that goalpost dive at Stanford last year. That one still smarts. :)
Uhhh thanks for bringing that memory back
--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com
by Jake Bertalotto on Jul 6, 2009 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions
All-around
Sammie was just tougher, physically and mentally. All the stuff he went through in his career at OSU would’ve been devastating to almost anyone. But not Sammie. He brought a toughness to the offense that is irreplaceable. No hard feelings to Catchings, but he hasn’t done s*&^
Catchings has had his own problems
I think part of his problem was that he didn’t know he had diabetes. Now he does, and has it under control, so I think we’re definitely going to see some improvement in him.
Yeah, I think he hasn’t done anything but improve this off-season.
--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com
by Jake Bertalotto on Jul 6, 2009 10:50 AM PDT up reply actions
A lot of work to do
The valid question would be whether Catchings is at this point an upgrade over what might have been expected from Sammie prior to the start of his his junior year, before he had done a lot of what we remember him for. The good news is that Darrell has two seasons to get closer to where Sammie was. I doubt he will be the overall threat/contributor, due to what Sammie brought as a punt returner, which helped him as a receiver as well. But Darrell will have an easier road, because he won’t be the defense’s #1 priority among the receivers for while, if ever. James will be, whereas last year, despite what James did, locating and handling Sammie was the opponent’s secondary’s #1 priority every play. As a result, Darrell could well see some daylight Sammie never had to work with. As far as the fumble that essentially cost a trip to the Rose Bowl, it was a dumb move, but by a young man trying to win a game. After Serna lost the LSU game, some (many) people were ready to run him and Riley out of town. But in the long run, Serna became a hero, and Riley earned a big measure of respect from everyone. Anyone else see a similarity?
I see what you’re saying, and it seems a lot like how Morales was able to get open last year when the defense was worried too much about Rodgers or Stroughter. And I agree with you, it’s hard to fault him for the fumble. It’s easy for us to criticize him stretching out for the goal line when he should have just gone out of bounds… but that is a tough thing for a freshman like that do to. Remember James over in the corner on I think the first touchdown we scored against USC last year? He wasn’t stretching out to the same extent that Catchings was vs. Stanford, but I think the idea is the same— he was straining to get into the end zone. That same thing could have easily happened to Rodgers. That one was ruled a touchdown….. had it gone differently, that game (and season) could have gone differently. (video link)
--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com
by Jake Bertalotto on Jul 6, 2009 12:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Man, such a good game.
I wish they would replay it on ESPN Classic or something.
by HighSchoolQuarterback on Jul 6, 2009 12:38 PM PDT up reply actions
They should!
I had it saved on my DVR… but it eventually got pushed off when the memory filled because I forgot to protect it or whatever. Oh well… YouTube highlights are still doing it for me. One of these days I will crave the full replay!
--JB--
www.buildingthedam.com
by Jake Bertalotto on Jul 6, 2009 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Did Darrell's parents vote for "Upgrade"?
"The brownies,'' Fernandez said after the game. "The brownies are good for me to make three-points.''
- from Quick's Behind the Blazers Locker Room Door, 4/16/09
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