What did we learn-Purdue edition

ZRod said:
Count said:
dmeyer24 said:
ColoradoHusk said:
ZRod said:
Count said:
I didnt get to watch the game live. I was working all day. When I finally got to it Sunday night, i was really REALLY surprised by the abundance of under the center, conventional handoff game. Esp with the injury issues up front. I've always been a fan of langsdorf, so I trying to think that there might be some calculating plan here. But this is where our big struggle is. Our line is simply not dominant enough. Which is neatralized by spread-shotgun run game.
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Or a PA screen/swing pass. We saw a few, but with the penetration up the middle you think we would have pushed things out to the edge way more than we did. Even in the run game. This team desperately needs the 2011 toss sweep game. Or maybe a counter play. Anything to get us outside the guards and away from the center (where our issues lie).The counter may have blown up in our faces with the way #9 was getting after it. But you hit him with a trap play and he may slow down a bit.
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One thing I don't like with Langsdorf/Riley's offense is the lack of imaginative run designs to get outside the tackles. Outside zone/stretch plays take so long to develop, and the jet sweeps seem to be boom or bust. I'm not a coach or play designer, but there should be basic plays to get the RB outside the tackles in the run game.
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Early in the year we saw QB Power, OZ, and TE Reverses all designed to get outside the tackles. Now we have backup guards, a gimpy Tommy, and no Cethan taking those plays away from us. Hard to be imaginative at this point and Tommy's lack of short accuracy on the screen game is killing us.
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That's the way I'm seeing it. At this point it's a personell issue and the dynamics of a defense and what they can focus on. Let's be honest. 11 Personell. Id a defense really gonna pay as much respect to a Cotton/Foster combo without Westerkamp in the slot as they would with Carter on the field WITH Westerkamp int he slot? i think it's competely changed dynamics of these defenses and done a lot to limit our multiplicity. Really ties the hands of an OC and an oline.
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If you can't get to the edge, why couldn't you come back with a trap play, or fullback dive away from the NT? Give him a reason to hesitate and not bull rush up field. Those are basic plays, one of which we had last year. You don't need to get chunck yardage from them, just give the D another wrinkle to think about and slow down the rush.
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True. But what I'm talking is more about the linebackers and safeties in terms of their run fits. how aggressive they are. if I'm a SAM or a nickel and I have Carter or Cotton on my side in a balanced situation down and distance wise, which one am i more apt to paying attention to in terms of pass defense? or allowing me to key run more? Same with a nickel/safety in the slot. Ala Westerkamp.

i know the Oline has to do a better job with Dline off the snap, but the opposing Dlines arent doing it by themselves. Tommy needs to show the ability to hit some big stuff down the field without Carter and Westerkamp before these run fits will be slowed. I think Westerkamps presence will do that to an extent.

 
I see your point, and agree about Tommy's long ball. Maybe that's true for Indian and Ill, but against Purdue the D line was manhandling us. There were some effective run blitzes, yes, but mostly it was the line being in our backfield on their own. That's a nightmare for any OC, but it seems like we didn't have much to counter it.

 
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I learned that we are 7-0 - 1st time since 2001, Ranked 6-7th highest since 2010, we can play ugly, injured, and still win (even against a team that was a trap game before the big Wisc game. Purdue had to be highly motivated after loosing their coach - they played wt a chip on their shoulders ), we've learned not to give up and can play to the end.

 
ZRod said:
I see your point, and agree about Tommy's long ball. Maybe that's true for Indian and Ill, but against Purdue the D line was manhandling us. There were some effective run blitzes, yes, but mostly it was the line being in our backfield on their own. That's a nightmare for any OC, but it seems like we didn't have much to counter it.
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The last two weeks the offense has had very little presence in the middle of the field. Without that threat opposing Ds have had at least 8 guys with their eyes in the backfield. The way you counter that is by controlling the middle of the field with the pass and/or a screen game. We have missed Westy and Cethan controlling the middle and Tommy is inept at throwing screens.

Running a trap eliminates one defender, true, but it is still 6 on 7 if we are in 11 personnel and they have 8 committed to stopping the run. So maybe we run trap option and eliminate another defender to even the numbers. Now we are counting on two injured tackles and two back up guards to win 1-1 matchups consistently.

Lack of O Line depth along with not having a consistent threat in the middle of the field is harming the whole offense. Until 1 or both aspects get healthy the O will continue to struggle to run consistently.

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
BIG ERN said:
teachercd said:
Guy Chamberlin said:
Who knew Wyoming would rank as our most quality win?
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I thought it was Indiana? Lord knows we heard all week before playing them how freaking great they were.
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It is Northwestern at the moment
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At the moment, Wyoming has 1 vote in the Coaches Poll, which is one more vote than any Nebraska opponent.
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I think it is close but to me NW is a better team. Lost to an undefeated W Mich and undefeated Nebraska. Beat Indiana by double digits, win over Iowa. They do have an awful loss to Ill St though....so yeah I could see why people would think Wyoming.

 
BIG ERN said:
Guy Chamberlin said:
BIG ERN said:
teachercd said:
Guy Chamberlin said:
Who knew Wyoming would rank as our most quality win?
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I thought it was Indiana? Lord knows we heard all week before playing them how freaking great they were.
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It is Northwestern at the moment
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At the moment, Wyoming has 1 vote in the Coaches Poll, which is one more vote than any Nebraska opponent.
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I think it is close but to me NW is a better team. Lost to an undefeated W Mich and undefeated Nebraska. Beat Indiana by double digits, win over Iowa. They do have an awful loss to Ill St though....so yeah I could see why people would think Wyoming.
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Yeah, I'd vote for Northwestern myself. Just think it's kinda funny that Wyoming is ranked higher than Oregon.

And Oregon would likely crush Wyoming.

Which is why rankings don't mean much on the field.

 
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