Grades vs. Houston

Well the Grades are out, and once again, they ain't pretty. Of course these are all subjective, so I'd like to hear what you all think.

Offense: D+/C-

QB: C-

Once again, Scott Elliot threw a key interception, and the offense looked out-of-sync when he was in the game. Scelfo and Moore both looked uncomfortable at first -- that is until they figured out Houston couldn't guard WR Casey Robottom. His first drive aside, Moore looked like the best quarterback on the team (albeit against Houston's second-stringers). We'll see how the rotation looks this weekend.

RB/FB: C+

Forte didn't look too bad, but the blocking just wasn't there for him at times. You can tell teams are game-planning for him, leaving a lot of opportunities deep. It was nice seeing the freshman Jordan Stephany get in the game.

WR/TE: C-

Where in the world did Casey Robottom come from? Who cares. If he keeps playing like that and one of the Green Wave quarterbacks step it up, he and Williams could form a fearsome duo. King bobbled a few passes, including one that turned into an interception. Ratcliff and the tight ends were quiet again and none of the other receivers really figured much into the offense, except maybe Chris Dunn and his one reception off a touchdown. The grade is low because on many plays, especially later in the game, there were guys giving up on their routes or running them half-heartedly.

OL: D+

This group was inconsistent throughout the game and really never let Forte get in any sort of rhythm. The tackles in particular struggled against the Cougars' defensive ends. No sacks given up, although there were plenty of times the quarterback would have to get rid of the ball with a Cougar defensive end in his face. Something needs to be done about the run blocking.

Defense: C-

DL: D-

Once again, this unit was abused by the lack of offense and the amount of time the Green Wave defense was out on the field. Keenum threw two interceptions -- who knows how many more he would've thrown had he faced a consistent pass rush. Cougars RB Anthony Aldridge was an automatic five yards on each play. Houston was so confident it could break the Tulane defensive line that it even ran the ball twice on third-and-long. This unit needs to develop some depth...fast...

LB: C-

This grade would be higher had it not been for all the runs Houston had to the outside. Evan Lee had another solid game, but everyone else was MIA.

DB: C+

The spread simply got to the Green Wave cornerbacks -- they couldn't stop the screen passes or runs to the outside, and they had difficulty staying with Houston WR Donnie Avery. Again, the opposition converted on quite a few third-and-longs. Skehan's two interceptions was this unit's saving grace.

Coaching: B-

Learning a new system on both sides of the ball takes time and repetition, and Toledo certainly has this program on the right track. There are a few reasons to second guess some specific decisions (why not bench Elliot earlier?), but Toledo isn't the reason for all the turnovers and the manhandling on both sides of the line.

Overall: C-

Once again, the Green Wave was taken to the woodshed for three quarters of a football game. Houston is good, but they're not this good. Someone needs to step up at the quarterback position and the offense needs to sustain drives longer if it has any hope of posting more than two wins.