Sept. 23, 2010
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Joe Fisher’s Mailbag Submit Your Question Wondering about a player, a past game or another topic involving the Commodores? The Voice of the Commodores Joe Fisher will answer a variety of email questions from fans during the season on VUcommodores.com. |
Joe, why are 96% of the offensive plays going to the right? Larry Smith has missed some good open players on the left. But what’s surprising is that the upstairs coaches don’t catch that.
— Wizz (Stone Mountain)
- Nice math on your part. Seriously, we have spread the ball to both sides of the field. Zac Stacy’s TD run at Ole Miss was over the left side, for example. I don’t think it’s a huge shock to see teams favor the strong side. When your quarterback is right-handed, it’s much easier to make a pass/run option to the right side.
Trust me, our coaches don’t want to show any major tendencies, so I don’t think anyone is figuring that we are loading up on one side of the field.
Joe, How about an injury update going into the off week?
— John (Savannah, Ga.)
- Well, we hoped the open date came at a good time injury wise, but hard to say. Warren Norman had some more fluid drained from his knee, just as a precaution. I’m not sure T.J. Greenstone is going to be available at UConn with his high ankle sprain. I won’t count him out just yet, but that’s a slow healing injury.
I talked with Jay Fullam at length on Thursday, and he feels he’ll be ready to go. I anticipate Jamie Graham will be available this coming week, which will be a nice boost in the secondary.
We were hoping Adam Smotherman would be ready next week, but he’s having some back issues now, so that’s up in the air. In the grand scheme of things, we’re pretty healthy, but still on hold with a couple of key guys.
I noticed during the Ole Miss game that players now have ‘star’ stickers in addition to ‘anchor’ stickers on their helmets. What’s the distinction?
— Cristy (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
- Great eyes on your part. From those on the practice field, I’ve been told that the star sticker is for special teams play, and the anchor is for everything else.
Joe, sweet, sweet win! But when does the NCAA or the schools do something about these dad-gum TV schedules????? It was 97 degrees during the game at Ole Miss, that’s ridiculous. I am sunburned as heck and this is not good for the teams either. September games in the South should be played at night, like everyone used to do. Money isn’t everything. Go Dores!!
— Jerry (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.)
- Jerry, it’s pretty simple. When you sell your soul, if you will, to ESPN or whomever for the multi-million dollar per year deal, you give up some things. The SEC gave up the ability to schedule game times in favor of a lucrative ESPN contract. In a nutshell, we play when ESPN says we play.
Agreed, its difficult to play a September day game, although I remember a few of those Jefferson Pilot 11:30 central time starts that were brutal, too. It’s easy to say money isn’t everything if you’re not the one having to balance the budget. University presidents and athletic departments made the decision that it was worth giving up control of kick times for the money.