Making the grade
Individual successes overshadow team letdowns

Quarterback: B
Junior Brandon Hassell took much better care of the ball in his first career road start than he did two weeks ago against Vanderbilt. Despite being sacked five times, Hassell managed to still throw for 246 yards and run for 58 more yards. He finished the game 12-24, including a 98-yard touchdown completion to junior wide receiver Reggie Harrell. The touchdown reception was the Frogs’ longest play from scrimmage this year.

Running Backs: A
Redshirt freshman Robert Merrill excelled in his first career start for the Frogs. He ran by Wildcat defenders all game for 156 yards on 31 carries, averaging 4.8 yards a carry. His numbers would have been better if it were not for a penalty that erased his 80-yard touchdown run. With only two games of action, Merrill continues to prove he can help open up the passing game and keep the Frogs’ offense operating in the absence of Lonta Hobbs, Corey Connally and Ricky Madison.

Wide Receivers: B
The receiving core continues to improve with each game. As usual, Harrell was the go-to-guy against the Wildcats. Harrell, who was on the receiving end of the 98-yard touchdown play, finished the game with four receptions for 127 yards. Seven different Frogs caught at least one pass from Hassell. Junior tight end Cody McCarty and senior tight end Stanley Moss combined for three receptions for 64 yards.

Offensive Line: B
Even though the offensive line allowed five Arizona sacks, it was able to pave the way for a powerful Frogs’ rushing attack. Between Merrill, Hassell and senior Kenny Hayter, the Frogs rushed for 241 yards on 56 carries. The offensive line did a great job anchoring the offense, other than the five sacks it gave up, as the 452 total yards of offense suggest.

Defensive Line: A
The defensive line continues to dominate for the Frogs. It helped hold Arizona to 57 total yards rushing, and seniors Chad Pugh and Bo Schobel each had two tackles for a loss, including one sack each. It is becoming a common occurrence for opposing teams to abandon the run in favor of the pass, and as long as this trend continues, the line is doing its job tremendously.

Linebackers: B+
Martin Patterson seems to improve with every game he plays, and Josh Goolsby continues to be a force in the middle. Devon Davis missed a tackle that lead to the Cats only touchdown in the game, but fortunately the Frogs were able to overcome it. When Goolsby and Patterson are together, they are almost impossible to get by.

Secondary: A-
For the third time this year, a quarterback threw for at least 250 yards against the Frogs. But also for the third time, the Frogs held a quarterback to under 50 percent completion. The group had four interceptions in the game, including two from Mark Walker, and Jeremy Modkins’ pick in overtime was crucial. However, if Marvin Godbolt’s injury to left knee is serious, the Frogs could be in big trouble.

Special Teams: D
What happened? Senior Nick Browne missed two field goals from inside 40 yards, and Cory Rodgers looked like it was his first time to return punts. Junior John Braziel averaged just 36.3 yards a punt but was forced to punt nine times, landing two of them inside the 20 yard line. Browne atoned for his misses by getting the Frogs into overtime and eventually made the game winner, but the Frogs will probably not survive another special teams meltdown as bad as this against any of their remaining opponents.

Overall: C+
It’s hard to give anything lower than a C when the Frogs won the game and are now 4-0 for only the second time since World War II. However, the Frogs have an amazing ability to play down to the level of their competition, and if they continue that trend, getting past a winless Army team could be a difficult feat. Individually, the Frogs are playing well at every position and putting up good statistics, but they must start playing better as a team. The Frogs have the talent, and we expect them to show it against Army

Compiled by Braden Howell and Brent Yarina