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  • Elam does "good job" in first collegiate start against Mississippi State

    by
    Darrell KSR
    Published on 10-29-2015 12:32 PM
    1 Comment Comments
    By: LARRY VAUGHT

    In his first collegiate start, defensive lineman Matt Elam played nearly 50 plays in Kentucky’s loss at Mississippi State.

    Kentucky coach Mark Stoops thought he did a “good job” with the challenge of replacing Melvin Lewis, the senior nose guard who broke his leg a week earlier.

    “Matt was more focused, and I thought he played better. There’s things from getting that extended role, getting those extended reps that with the reps, he’ll get better and better as we move forward as well,” Stoops said.

    One problem Stoops and defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot have to figure out with Elam is his lack of pass rush ability. Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott seldom was pressured and had plenty of time to find receivers.

    “Pass rush is not Matt’s thing. That’s where we have to try to create some here and there. It hurts us at times, but we’re asking Matt to be what he is, and that’s a big nose guard that can play the run, and we actually did some decent things in run defense as well,” Stoops said.

    Eliot agreed that Elam was a “good run stopper” against State.

    “I thought he held his gap well and I thought he shut down the middle, which is the job of the nose guard. Obviously he has things he can get better at. As far as stopping the run, I thought he did a good job and did his responsibility,” Eliot said.

    How can the defense compensate for Elam’s lack of pass rushing ability?

    “I think he has to continue to do better at it and there’s certain things he can do well in pass rush,” Eliot said. “He can push the pocket and he’s big, so he gets in the way of the quarterback.

    “Other guys have to step up and be more effective pass rushers. Melvin was pretty good at it so now we have other guys to have to step up around him and do a better job.”
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    Comments 16 Comments
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd - 10-29-2015, 05:34 PM
      Uh,.................never mind
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR - 10-29-2015, 05:41 PM
      Well, he tackled a guy. Once.

      Hey, the coaches look out for their players.
    1. MTcatfan's Avatar
      MTcatfan - 10-29-2015, 05:52 PM
      Coach isn't going to throw his player under the bus...Stoops said exactly what he should say PUBLICALLY...that said:

      People have to remember that Elam's main job is to take up 2 blockers so that there is one less lineman to block blitzers and linebackers. So if that is what they want him to do, he did okay in that regard. People have to remember when UK is in an odd front(3 or 5) for the defensive lineman, the NOSE TACKLE has different responsibilities than a DEFENSIVE TACKLE has in even fronts (4 or 6). The nose tackle in odd fronts is more about taking up blockers and less about pass rush and/or making tackles. He must clog up the gaps around the center, and that happens if he is double teamed, and that happened quite often in the MSU game.

      The thing is that with Lewis at his point in his career he could move good enough to take up 2 blockers, AND beat the double team to make tackles and pressure the QB. Elam may be able to do that as a junior or senior but as a sophomore he just isn't ready to do both things, but doing only one thing doesn't make him a failure.
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR - 10-29-2015, 05:53 PM
      And they freely admit he's not a pass rusher. *At all.*

      There are some good things he does. I'm not sure it rises to the level of a "good job," but you're right, they won't throw him under the bus at all.

      I miss Melvin Lewis, though.
    1. MickintheHam's Avatar
      MickintheHam - 10-29-2015, 08:22 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by MTcatfan View Post
      Coach isn't going to throw his player under the bus...Stoops said exactly what he should say PUBLICALLY...that said:

      People have to remember that Elam's main job is to take up 2 blockers so that there is one less lineman to block blitzers and linebackers. So if that is what they want him to do, he did okay in that regard. People have to remember when UK is in an odd front(3 or 5) for the defensive lineman, the NOSE TACKLE has different responsibilities than a DEFENSIVE TACKLE has in even fronts (4 or 6). The nose tackle in odd fronts is more about taking up blockers and less about pass rush and/or making tackles. He must clog up the gaps around the center, and that happens if he is double teamed, and that happened quite often in the MSU game.

      The thing is that with Lewis at his point in his career he could move good enough to take up 2 blockers, AND beat the double team to make tackles and pressure the QB. Elam may be able to do that as a junior or senior but as a sophomore he just isn't ready to do both things, but doing only one thing doesn't make him a failure.
      Mississippi State stopped using two men to block Elam. They found they could get the job done with but one man.
    1. dan_bgblue's Avatar
      dan_bgblue - 10-29-2015, 08:27 PM
      Elam occupied the center by himself for most of the game
    1. kingcat's Avatar
      kingcat - 10-29-2015, 08:31 PM
      I thought he done alright., ..not good,. just alright.

      Think we can expect better from him going forward.
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd - 10-29-2015, 11:30 PM
      Once State realized they only needed one to block him, they did as mick said, used one guy. I focused on him often as I was very critical of him last year. The center just stood him up easily . He clogs the middle on run plays u be the middle, not because he is good but because he is huge

      Shame is he could be really good, does not seem to have the disire after 1.5 yrs to shed weight. I would bench him
    1. MTcatfan's Avatar
      MTcatfan - 10-30-2015, 10:38 AM
      I realize that he wasn't double teamed a lot, but I wonder if it was talent realization or score realization. Once Miss State scored those quick 2 TDs, there was no need to double team as the game was basically in hand. Also the Miss State center listed at 315 is the largest center Elam will face the rest of the season. The rest are 300 or less, 2 are listed at 300, 1 at 290, 1 at 282, 1 at 285, so we will see how he does against a smaller opponent, as opposed to one closer to his weight. I know that Elam disappointed, but we need to get him a little time before we anoint him a failure. I still think as he gets older he will get better, but the rest of this season will be telling, imho.
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd - 10-30-2015, 12:48 PM
      MT, watching him in person, he can't move period, just too big. And there is a huge differenc ein his weight and the center for MSU. I concentrated on just him quite a big and he doesn't move, front, back, lateral. No one I talked to from MSU at the game even noticed him out there in spite of how big he is because he was a non factor.
    1. MTcatfan's Avatar
      MTcatfan - 10-30-2015, 01:52 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by jazyd View Post
      MT, watching him in person, he can't move period, just too big. And there is a huge differenc ein his weight and the center for MSU. I concentrated on just him quite a big and he doesn't move, front, back, lateral. No one I talked to from MSU at the game even noticed him out there in spite of how big he is because he was a non factor.

      I trust you, it is a lot easier judging someone in person than on TV since I am forced to follow the camera. Personally I will give him a few more games before I make any pronouncements about him. One thing though is I thought I heard someone, maybe Freddie Maggard, that they moved him to a 4 point stance to help him stay low and not stand up, but I did notice he was in a 3 point stance every time I watched him, and of course he stood up most of the time. If they ever solve the "stay low" thing, it will really help him out.
    1. catmanjack's Avatar
      catmanjack - 10-30-2015, 01:56 PM
      Very slow, too big, does not explode off the ball.
      Hope since he is getting his chance he works at those things that
      will improve his game.
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd - 10-30-2015, 05:25 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by MTcatfan View Post
      I trust you, it is a lot easier judging someone in person than on TV since I am forced to follow the camera. Personally I will give him a few more games before I make any pronouncements about him. One thing though is I thought I heard someone, maybe Freddie Maggard, that they moved him to a 4 point stance to help him stay low and not stand up, but I did notice he was in a 3 point stance every time I watched him, and of course he stood up most of the time. If they ever solve the "stay low" thing, it will really help him out.
      MT, imo, the big thing he must do is lose weight, he looks every bit as big as last yera. again, imo, the kid has ability but at that size he can't move and he is easily defended with one person. With him in there, no pass rush, no push and DAk had as much as 7-8 seconds to find a receiver. I am not down on him, but at this weight he is a liability imo.
      You played the spot, you know you have to have some ability to push that OL back and move sideways, he can't do either. I would rather have a smaller player in there that can move. but again that is my opinion.
      Get down to 330 and he is a beast, stay at 380 and he is just a fat boy like me LOL
    1. ShoesSwayedBlue's Avatar
      ShoesSwayedBlue - 10-30-2015, 05:25 PM
      He just hasn't worked as hard as he should to lose the weight and gain explosiveness. He did lose some this past offseason but not nearly enough. It's already hard for him to win the leverage battle at his height, but that huge belly makes it even harder for him to get low and explode into blockers or move laterally to pursue the ball.
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR - 10-30-2015, 05:53 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by ShoesSwayedBlue View Post
      He just hasn't worked as hard as he should to lose the weight and gain explosiveness. He did lose some this past offseason but not nearly enough. It's already hard for him to win the leverage battle at his height, but that huge belly makes it even harder for him to get low and explode into blockers or move laterally to pursue the ball.
      Disappointing. So much potential. Maybe the off-season will produce benefits and he'll have a terrific last two seasons.
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd - 10-30-2015, 05:58 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by ShoesSwayedBlue View Post
      He just hasn't worked as hard as he should to lose the weight and gain explosiveness. He did lose some this past offseason but not nearly enough. It's already hard for him to win the leverage battle at his height, but that huge belly makes it even harder for him to get low and explode into blockers or move laterally to pursue the ball.
      Shoes, your comment made me think back several years in the past, IF he would lose a substantial amount of weight with his height, could he be a Too Tall Jones that played for the Cowboys at DE.

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