Imani Cross should start this week

[zoogs]

I think you do need to take deep shots to prevent the safeties from cheating up. Question is, how confident are you in your pass protection? Injury ravaged OL for sure. How is Abdullah in pass protection? Do you use your TEs to block at all?

Our RBs have appeared to miss some pickups lately. Coupled with the injury situation on the interior line, uh oh.

 

[Goal-line]

If we want to establish the running game, the best way to do it is to include the fullback in the option. The first read by the QB should be with the fullback. Then, decided to either hand the ball off, keep the ball and turn up field, or pitch the ball. This will freeze the LB and keep a team who flows quickly to the ball to say home in the middle of the field. I have always wondered why they don't use Cross as the fullback in the option game.

Simply stated, if you think it is necessary to start Cross, put him in a situation where he can add value for what he does best, punish the defense between the tackles. You cannot have your leading rusher, 5th in the nation and leading the BIG, on the sidelines.

 

[SpartanMacks]

I think you do need to take deep shots to prevent the safeties from cheating up. Question is, how confident are you in your pass protection? Injury ravaged OL for sure. How is Abdullah in pass protection? Do you use your TEs to block at all?

We don't protect all that much with our TEs if I am remembering correctly in pass protection. I actually am a lot more confident in our pass pro now than I was following Minnesota. Armstrong has a better feel for the pocket in my personal opinion. Whether he is able to read the coverage is yet to be seen.

The good thing will be that whoever is stepping in for Sirles will at least have a full week of reps with the 1s, so there'll be more chemistry and preparation. The bad thing is that MSU's pass rush is a lot better than Michigan's, and the secondary is too. I'm also interested in seeing how TA reads coverage. Our MLB Bullough has a free reign on audibling with the defense. Multiple times during the ND game he was matching Tommy Rees' audibles to the point where Rees had to call timeouts. Narduzzi loves blitzing, but we'll often fake the blitz and drop 8 into coverage, or send a corner off the edge. Our bread and butter is the double A-gap blitz which is devastating when timed well. We also do a lot of stunting on the DL, which is not something we did at all the last several years (got a new DL coach this year).

Does NU use throwback screens much?

Isn't this the same gameplan Michigan uses? Trying to run its opponents over? Yeah that's not going to work

The difference is, Michigan tries to do it behind arguably the worst OL in FBS, and a horrible OC (something that MSU fans have been used to for the last two years). MSU's OL isn't great at blasting open holes until late in the game, but we don't allow a lot of TFL either. Playcalling on both O and D will be big here. Need to keep your D honest. If the OL gets some good push that could really dictate the pace of the game. If not, it'll be a long day.

I think you do need to take deep shots to prevent the safeties from cheating up. Question is, how confident are you in your pass protection? Injury ravaged OL for sure. How is Abdullah in pass protection? Do you use your TEs to block at all?

Our RBs have appeared to miss some pickups lately. Coupled with the injury situation on the interior line, uh oh.

This will be key. As I mentioned above, we looooove the double A-gap blitz. A lot of times that falls squarely on the RB to pick it up.

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Stretch them sideline to sideline with the option and mix in a couple of shots deep down the field and make them account for KB and QE. Then you can pound it with Ameer.

Its "shots deep down the field" that don't work.

I may just say something that doesn't make much sense here, but hear me out.

Just because we didn't catch the ball on a deep pass, doesn't mean that it won't make the other team have to adjust to it. If we show a huge reluctance to take shots down the field Saturday, their safeties will have nothing to worry about and will be able to keep creeping up into the box. If that happens we are in a world of trouble. So just because we haven't connected on many deep passes doesn't mean we don't need to throw deep once in awhile.

Bingo, that forces them to play the pass as well and helps open up the run. Don't get me wrong, their defensive line and linebackers are very good and can stop the run, but that gives us a better chance of breaking a run in the second level. Run the safeties and corner backs out of the picture, block them down field, which our receivers are great at, and let AA do what he does.

 

[Mavric]

If we want to establish the running game, the best way to do it is to include the fullback in the option. The first read by the QB should be with the fullback. Then, decided to either hand the ball off, keep the ball and turn up field, or pitch the ball. This will freeze the LB and keep a team who flows quickly to the ball to say home in the middle of the field. I have always wondered why they don't use Cross as the fullback in the option game.

It's tricky enough to run straight option when you don't put a lot of practice time into it. To try and run the triple option without repping it all day every day is asking for turnovers.

 

[3rd and long]

I don't recall running triple option in a long time (where the QB bellies the fullback with the option of giving it to him), I think most of our option reads are off the DE, with it being a pitch or keep by the QB.

I really think we need to utilize play action to buy TA a little more time to take those deep shots. THey know we want to run so at least make the second level defenders pause by showing the run action.

 

[Ironhorse565]

While I do like the OP's idea what bothers me about it is #8 is the kind of back who gets stronger as the game wears on and I just cant see sitting him for a half. The whole wear them down with a sledge hammer then just as they start to show signs of fatigue send in grand dads straight razor to carve them up like so much Thanksgiving turkey is a great thought but just not practical. I know they own all these stats in this catagory and that catagory in the national rankings but then again they have not faced a running back the likes of Ameer when he gets his mad on.

Have no doubts they are going to come in here with a 2 week period to study and rest up for us and we all know they are gonna punch us right in the mouth and give us a tough old fashioned slug fest..........but with that being said if (man I hate that 2 letter word) IF we hit them right back and continue to hit them a little harder each time we get hit this game will come down to who wants it more us or them and we have 1 glaring advantage they dont this year........the Sea of Red..........this is one of those cornerstone games that can define or kill a season but also one where the Fans can make a huge difference and make every posession they have a living nightmare to communicate but we have to do it no matter what they do and keep the team pumped up and in the mood to run over people.

Game plan and draw plays in the dirt all you want but this game is gonna be a no nonsense straight up knock down drag out thats really decided by who wants it more and my gut feeling is we do.......we own a 7-0 record against them and for what ever reason heck call it karma if you like they know it the very second they hear the crowd start to roar like a cold damp November chill that gets clear to their core. ........this by the grace of God is the house that The Mad Irishman and The True Wizard of Os built. ....this is the home of the BLACKSHIRTS BABY AND NO BODY WEARING SPARTY GREEN SHOULD FORGET THAT.

Sitting in the visiting team section are 3 Sparty fan buddies who drove all night to get here and the one looks at another and says "Hey.....wake up leroy over there " motioning to the third member of the trio who is fast asleep, Sparty fan buddy #2 looks perplexed as to why he should do that and Sparty fan buddy #1 says in a calm deadpan way " Cause he aint never seen no butt whippin like we fixin to get! "

 

[EbylHusker]

I hope this happens just so I can see the Huskerboard meltdown that would result from sitting our best running back for a half for no good reason.