Safeties Moore & Paige w/ minor injuries, Sabb Stepping Up

Certainly need the starters healthy for this team to max out its potential. As long as they return good to go, some extended run for the younger guys against this non-conference slate could be very beneficial. 

Well, if Boo Boo is lingering, you know Yogi Bear is out there, somewhere, and he's coming for your picnic basket.

Speaking of WRs, any word on what’s going on with Clemons?

Have barely heard his name mentioned. It seems like after Roman, CJ, and Morris, the 3 freshmen have been getting mentioned next and Clemons name has largely been absent. I wonder if it’s injury, attempted motivation, or it’s just not happening?

Let’s just be glad it’s not the Burrow curse.

No reason to alter the direction of the universe right now. 

Really? I thought about the app st game and this ain't that. Relax. 

This group isn't a bunch of don't give a shit types like the no leadership group from 2007.

hol up … might have more pearls you can clutch somewhere 

I'm not taking it that far...but I do wonder if we're being insanely cautious and looking ahead towards the end of the season. We were banged up last year and I've had a feeling that we're going try to load manage our way through the first 9 games.

I don't love that approach, I'd prefer to go full throttle and then get the backups in. We have to build chemistry and rhythm and that requires playing time together. 

For me, this is truly a "trust the coaches" moment. 

I'm not going off the deep end, I'm just a little concerned about how we're balancing risk and health with chemistry and cohesion. 

Orrrrr our non conference opponents aren’t very good and rather than ask guys to play through injuries we are trying to get them healthy AND allowing guys behind them to develop some valuable in-game experience to build towards a healthy and deep roster later in the year.

no one is overlooking ECU, I can assure you of that. First game of the season for a team with championship aspirations. Also if you haven’t been paying  attention ECU was 4-4 against .500 teams last year, lost to 4-8 Navy, lost 42-3 to Houston, their best win was Coastal Carolina and lost almost all of their good players to portal and graduation.
 

if ECU can stop this offense and score on this defense with regularity the season was “Tucked” (new trademark term, thanks Sparty) from the beginning and also I’ll eat a bag of lemons

This is such a bad take. Some people should not be allowed to watch football 

I get that people see "team from North Carolina in the first game of a new TV partnership playing a UM team with NC aspirations" and get spooked but...ECU ain't App St. and this UM team is better than that 2007 squad.  I do think it might not be as much of a cupcake game as the OOC last year but this isn't a situation to be worried about.  And honestly, these guys sitting out feel a bit like precautions moreso than long-term injury concerns.

The gigantic difference here is that UM's defense actually has some clue on how to defend a spread offense now. And this team is flat out better than 2007 talent wise as a whole.

Holy shit BPONE has destroyed you all lol. While we do not know the severity of the injury, it makes complete sense to not take chances against a OOC schedule that is to the likes of Groves High School. 

Thought the same thing. Hope not.

Walker’s on crutches?  Dang, that sucks. Hopefully it’s a 4-6 week thing and he can be in shape by the Minn game. 

I also think this is something to watch for due to the lack of confirmation or transparency regarding health statuses of some players last year. I mean, as long as the players know who's going to be starting/playing, whatever but it would be nice to know what to expect instead of the hearsay that gets thrown around. 

In any case, Sabb and Berry were some of my favorite recruits and I'd like to see what they can do on the field. I don't know if Walker's timeline is really on track after the position switch like many thought it would do even when he was healthy and playing i.e. spring game. More than anything, I hope they can find a solid and consistent back 4 or 5 DBs who gel and communicate as needed. 

Walker never struck me as a likely starter at DB this year; he's an athletic guy but going from WR to DB is hard enough and there are guys ahead of him on the depth chart that I have to believe are better options.  

Hill-Green is an obvious example of a guy who got hurt and never came back but we haven't heard a ton of camp talk about the two safeties missing meaningful time during practice.  It was a year ago so I don't remember all the details but Hill-Green talk was also about how he wasn't really practicing either, which wasn't a great sign.

I do think people should be concerned until they're not but especially with basically a month before playing anyone of note guys are going to be in and out of the lineup for both real and precautionary reasons. 

What? Safety IS one position we can afford to take a hit. We are deep as fuck there imo. Everywhere on D except CB.