Tuesday Tidbits: O’Rourke’s Observations on CSU Football and Basketball

Each Tuesday, I’ll pen my musings from the previous weekend’s games, and hopefully provide some food for thought going forward. Why Tuesday? Well, Monday provides an extra 24 hours for reflection, and makes my attempt to copy Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback column slightly less apparent. Without further ado – or failed attempts at humor – here’s what stood out from the Bucs’ 38-16 loss to Big South leader Liberty this past Saturday.

“Critical Errors” Cost Bucs

Head coach Jay Mills put it perfectly in his postgame comments to the Post and Courier. “We knew we could not make critical errors, and we had to hope they would make some critical errors, and just the opposite happened,” said the ninth-year head man. CSU took advantage of some Liberty miscues to stay in the game early, something that has been a challenge for a Bucs’ team that entered play having been outscored 75-0 in the first quarter. Following a three-and-out from the offense, Thielen Smith’s defense bent but did not break as the Flames were flagged for chop block, holding, and delay of game penalties on three consecutive plays to push themselves out of field goal range. Although they did not score on the subsequent possession, Patrick Nix’s unit chewed up 6:55 of the game clock and developed an early rhythm with three first downs, including a 3rd-and-15 conversion courtesy of a pretty 25-yard hook up from Malcolm Dixon to Nathan Perera on the left sideline.

The first mistake ensued after Charleston Southern turned the ball over on downs, as Mike Brown hit Pat Kelly on a short crossing pattern over the middle that turned into a 52-yard touchdown thanks to a blown coverage. Nonetheless, Liberty entered as the No. 3 scoring offense in the nation, and Brown was bound to make some big plays at some point. Displaying their balanced attack by relying on running back Aldreakis Allen, the Flames pushed their advantage to 14-0 with a 13-play, 79-yard march that ended in a Brown bootleg touchdown pass to his backfield mate.

While the defense settled in, particularly after halftime (more on that later), it was the Bucs’ offense which enabled Liberty to blow the contest wide open. Two pick-sixes – one on the goal line with CSU threatening to close within 14-7 – eliminated any realistic shot at entering the win column for the first time of 2011. It was particularly frustrating since Dixon and company were moving the ball very efficiently against Danny Rocco’s stout 3-4 defense, anchored by 6-5, 380 lb. nose tackle Asa Chapman. Matt Bevins added a field goal as the first half clock expired, and Kevin Fogg broke several tackles to spring loose for an 82-yard return which stretched the cushion to 38-0 and could have easily deflated a young CSU squad still in search of that evasive first win. Instead of allowing things to get uglier, the Bucs responded with a spark from….

Mounce’s live arm turns it loose in eye-opening 2nd half

Before launching into praise of redshirt junior quarterback Richard Mounce’s performance in relief of Dixon, it’s important to keep perspective. The Flames were up 38-0 at the time of his entry, and Dixon too had exploited the Liberty secondary outside of the interceptions, hitting on 9-of-15 first half passes for 110 yards. As Mills mentioned in his postgame breakdown, Mounce made mistakes as well, overthrowing two balls that ended up in the hands of ball-hawking defenders keying in on the pass with a healthy lead. Still, the final numbers – and the way he produced them – were particularly impressive.

Mounce connected on 14-of-27 attempts for 193 yards and two scoring strikes, showcasing the arm strength which made him an elite pitcher at Blythewood High School before making his way to Clemson on a baseball scholarship. Those who listened to Saturday’s broadcast could hear the excitement in Jon Davis’ voice (and he does not lack in that quality, providing ample color and good humor throughout) as he noted the impressive passes which sailed from the right or left hash to the opposite sideline with accuracy and gusto. South Carolina’s 2007 Mr. Football award winner may not possess the quickness of Dixon, but he showed some deceptive speed to elude several defenders in the open field en route to a team-high 32 rushing yards on nine carries. It remains to be seen what the quarterback situation will be going forward, (tune into tonight’s Jay Mills Show at 7 p.m. on ESPN 910 to hear what coach has to say) but Mounce’s outing was encouraging and should give the Bucs a bit of a bounce as they head back on the road at Gardner-Webb this week.

Mounce’s play will make for interesting conversation on this evening’s broadcast, as will these other storylines out of the 22-point defeat to Liberty. In the interest of brevity (that can be a challenge for me, at times, if you haven’t noticed), here’s some bullet points:

• Nathan Perera set career-highs with 7 catches for 100 yards, and is stepping to the forefront of a largely inexperienced receiving corps. The 6-3, 200 lb. Orlando native can go get the ball at its highest point, and did so to out-tussle a Liberty defender and reel in a career-long 36-yard reception. The sophomore added a 25-yard grab, marking the second straight week in which he hauled in two passes over 20 yards.

• The depth of the receiving corps was also on display, with Kevin Glears, Mike Davis, and Estevan Cintron recording three receptions each. Kirby Broome chipped in two catches, highlighted by a perfectly thrown 51-yard deep ball that signified CSU’s longest play from scrimmage this season. Despite missing high on several throws, Mounce’s rapport with the wide outs was particularly impressive due to his relative low amount of reps with the first-teamers in practice, as quarterbacks coach A.J. Toscano mentioned in an engrossing postgame interview (more credit to A.J.’s insight than my own line of questioning).

• Coach Mills expected Charles James to respond in the wake of his critical fumbled punt against VMI, and the redshirt junior did just that. A year after picking off Brown – the two-time reigning Big South Offensive Player of the Year – twice, James may have been even better in shutting out Chris Summers. Summers enjoys a seven-inch height advantage over the 5-10 James, but the conference leader in receptions and receiving yards per game could not shake the Jacksonville native loose. James was flagged for a pass interference which negated a pick-six on the game’s opening play, but the play set the tone for the afternoon. He was physical with the tall and rangy Walter Payton Award candidate, and even went up in the air with him on several jump-balls.

• James led the squad with a season-best nine tackles, and the Charleston Southern defense allowed only 17 points to a Liberty offense which averages over 37 a game. The absence of Brown in the second half meant the Flames were a different group offensively, but the Bucs’ performance after intermission was outstanding, as they yielded only 38 yards and zero first downs after surrendering 14 in the opening 30 minutes.

All that sets the stage for a trip to Boiling Springs, North Carolina and a meeting with Gardner-Webb this Saturday at 1:30 on Sports Radio 1450. The Runnin’ Bulldogs have dropped the Bucs’ each of the last two campaigns, and will look to do the same and generate momentum off a dramatic 26-24 upset win at Coastal Carolina this past week. Hear what Coach Mills has to say about Ron Dickerson, Jr.’s team tonight at 7 on ESPN 910 (had to get another plug in), and keep your eyes pealed for Thursday’s preview of the GW game.