Moral Victory! mid-season review: Offense

OK, it's past mid-season for the Commies, but it is mid-season for all those real programs that actually take a bye week during the season.

Anyway, thought it might be interesting to look back at how we'd rated different parts of the offense during the preseason and see if we've made any progress:

Here's the rating system:
1. BCS Bowl
2. Cotton Bowl
3. Music City Bowl
4. Independence Bowl
5. Living Room

QUARTERBACKS: NO IMPROVEMENT; LOWERED EXPECTATIONS
Pre-season: Rating — Living Room; Potential: Cotton Bowl
Mid-season: Living Room
We said that Larry's had to show poise and leadership. His line has fallen apart and his receivers can't get separation and when they do they can't catch. Has Larry showed poise and leadership in a nightmare situation? No. Will he hang in there and take the reins of this team by the end of the season? He's getting the chance, and we're going to find out.

RUNNING BACKS: BIG IMPROVEMENT
Preseason: Rating — Living Room; Potential: Music City Bowl
Mid-season: Music City Bowl
With little help from the line, the Commodores have found true SEC-caliber running backs in true freshmen Zac Stacy and Warren Norman. Norman, you may remember, was given the lowest chance of the three freshmen tailbacks to avoid a redshirt and make an impact. In retrospect, Jared Hawkins' injury has not been a setback for this team, and will actually help the Dores next season.

WIDE RECEIVERS: NO IMPROVEMENT
Preseason: Rating — Living room; Potential — Music City Bowl
Mid-season: Living room
Terence Jeffers-Harris wasn't eligible, John Cole's been injured, and Alex Washington, Brady Brown, Akeem Dunham and Tray Herndon have been invisible. Collin Ashley has been the only bright spot in this group, but he's a supporting guy at best. Now there's a glimmer of hope with the return of Jamie Graham to the offense.

TIGHT ENDS: DIGRESSION
Preseason: Rating — Music City Bowl; Potential — BCS Bowl
Mid-season: Independence Bowl
What must happen: Barden's struggled to catch the ball, Monahan did the same and then had a season-ending injury, and Justin Green was so bad he got moved to receiver, where he's sitting on the bench. A disappointment so far.

OFFENSIVE LINE: HUGE DIGRESSION
Preseason: Rating — Independence Bowl; Potential: Music City Bowl
Mid-season: Living room
It's been all downhill since the season-ending injury to James Williams, and now things look really dire with the injury to Thomas Welch. Hey Wesley Johnson and Mylon Brown, keep on eating and lifting. We're gonna need you next year. Big time.