Two days in pads, a walk-through and a run-through before the Ducks board a plane to Virginia for a Saturday afternoon game versus the Cavaliers, 12:30 p.m. Pacific on ABC/ESPN.
Thomas Tyner will be on the plane. He says he’s 100% and making progress with the playbook, adjusting to the speed and physicality of college football after being roughed up initially at practice. Tyner told Jason Quick of the Oregonian, “My first time walking in – I felt like I was going back to high school as a freshman. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know the system. I felt like every time I went into the offense I was screwing everything up. It took time for me to adjust.’’
Dash of the Titans: In eight short months, Thomas Tyner has gone from ballyhooed to lambasted, and all he did was sing off-key and turn an ankle. He’s practicing well this week and expected to play Saturday (sbnation.com photo).
Tyner injured his left ankle August 13th, which caused him to miss several days. Gary Campbell thought he wasn’t adequately prepared for the Nicholls game and decided to hold him out, even though he’s full-go now. After practice yesterday Campbell said his speedy freshman will be ready to play this Saturday, taking some of the load off De’Anthony Thomas and Byron Marshall, adding another dimension to the offense. As good as DAT and Smash are, Thomas “Dash” Tyner is bigger and faster than both of them. Of course the newcomer still has to complete that adjustment to bigger, faster opponents, some of whom are a full five years older than he is.
It will be good for Tyner to play in Charlottesville, if for no other reason than to quiet the speculation about him. Fan sites and talking heads have gone crazy passing judgment on the 18-year-old that hasn’t played a down, some declaring that he lacks toughness or the mental acuity to succeed at the college level. They say that his being wrenched from the safety of the Aloha community has overloaded him. A few have made statements like, “if he does transfer out or becomes a bust…” Already there are comparisons to Lache Seastrunk, a leap of logic that does a disservice to both of them.
The young man is four weeks into his first season of college football. He turned an ankle. Sure, he probably has some maturing to do. Who doesn’t at the end of their first month on a college campus? He doesn’t lack for talent, work ethic or toughness. The rampant speculation is foolish.
Fans forget that Jonathan Stewart struggled as a college freshman, and LaMichael James didn’t even play. He redshirted, and nearly went home that winter. Tyner needs an opportunity to turn the grumbling into cheers, and if he’s wise, he’ll ignore them both.
The speedy freshman tailback holds the state record in the 100 meters at 10.38. He rushed for a state record 3,402 yards in 2012, had 299 carries in 11 games, with 43 touchdowns. That kind of potential merits some patience. Fortunately Gary Campbell is making the decisions and not the comments section at oregonlive.
While he works this out, Tyner has an important ally. Yesterday Rob Moseley of goducks.com reported that De’Anthony Thomas is working with the freshman at practice, easing his transition by taking him aside, walking him through plays. “He’s helped me a lot,” Tyner said. DAT’s providing an important additional lesson on how to be a teammate and a leader, the kind where actions speak loudest.
Across the sideline on Saturday for the Wahoos will be 5-star freshman tailback Taquan “Smoke” Mizzell, a 5-10, 185-lb, prep sensation from Bayside High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Mizzell, who compares himself to Duke Johnson of the Miami Hurricanes, ran for over 3,500 yards in his high school career. He was rated one of the top ten running backs in the country as a high school prospect. Like Tyner, he played in the Army All-America game.
In the ‘Hoos opening win over BYU, Mizzell had 7 carries for 16 yards.
During fall camp, Norm Wood of the Charlottesville Daily Press asked UVa. running backs coach Larry Lewis about his highly-touted freshman tailback. “Can he handle all the formations and everything that we have going in?” Lewis said. “Mentally, can you handle it? Physically, can you handle it? Can you handle it, and still go to school? I think you have to take a look at all those things, as (with) any true freshman, and evaluate what their worth is going to be. As you get into school, then all of a sudden you’ve got a lot of things pulling some guys. Some guys are more mature. I think that Mizzell is.”
Somewhere from a basement in Roanoke, some fan is chirping right now about what a disappointment Smoke is. Don’t be that guy.
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