Igetbored216
All-Conference
Yeah, he was hurt during the game and I do think it made a difference in the way the defense played.
BIG 12 NORTH PRESEASON FORECAST
- Thread starter HUSKER CHUCK
- Start date
Losing the LB's deff hurts. But from what i'm reading "paper" is that the new LB's are ready to step up with one being a RB who likes to hit in Quigley (see here). It also looks like we are going to the new thing in the B12 with 2 LB's. The 4-2-5 they call it i believe. The line looks to have more depth and there could be one or two FR playing on the line.
SOCALHUSKER
Starter
SOCALHUSKER
Starter
He's defintely not afraid of contact, but how are his instincts at getting to the ball?
The nickel package you are talking about is quite common when defending against pass happy teams (i.e. the Big 12) However, if a couple of those DB's aren't hybrid safety/LB's a defense will have a hard time stopping the run. This is exactly why football is so cyclical. Defenses stack for the run and the offenses become pass happy, this forces the defense to play the pass and offenses revert back to pounding the ball. You have to find a balance somewhere in your talent, and the good defensive coaches do.
caveman99
All-American
Yeah if KU stays in the hybrid-nickle OU and NU will have a great day on the ground. I would argue that NU and OU are pre-season 2 of the top 3 running teams in the conference this year, OSU is in there as well.
From what I'm hearing/reading Quigley has a very solid understanding of LB and is impressing the coaches, I do not know if he will be the day 1 starter or not. Our S is solid in Stuckey and our other DB's should be about average. They looked bad last year cause the damn line couldn't get to the QB and the LB's where injured for most of the season. The line has to be the biggest improvement this year for us on D. Last year wasn't a bad year though as you guys seem to think. If we could have won in Lincoln KU would have been the north rep in the B12CG, quite an accomplishment considering our schedule last year and our O/D line play. Our OL sucked horribly last year and it should be improved this year, even with the loss of the 3 on the line. Reesing is not a stranger to having to run for his life so I am not as worried about the OL.
The Maudfather
All-American
Let me get this straight...Your OL sucked last year, but should be improved because the guys who were not good enough to start last year (When your line "sucked horribly"), will now be starting? :WTH
caveman99
All-American
You should be worried about the O-Line, you will be replacing 3 starters including your LT from last year. As I said in this post in the other thread: http://www.huskerboard.com/forums/index.ph...st&p=437253
SOCALHUSKER
Starter
I don't get it jayhawker. Was your team bad or not last year? Also, are your supposed improvements going to be enough to win the North?
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Igetbored216
All-Conference
Yeah. I am not getting how the KU o-line will be improved next year. I have been putting a pretty big emphasis on it and all I ever hear is, "Reesing, Meir, and Briscoe return..."
Well, who needs an o-line when you have those three?
Yeah. Here is the ol depth as far as I can tell by what i've read
RT: Jeff Spikes (6'6" 314lbs) (SO) Freshman starter last year, Moving to RT this year.
Ian Wolfe (6'5" 295lbs)
RG: John Williams (6'4" 338lbs) Freshman so couldn't start last year. Check him out.
Carl Wilson (6'4" 292lbs)
C: Jeremiah Hatch (6'3" 311lbs) (SO) Played RT last year as a freshman. Check him out here
Brad Thorson (6'3" 290lbs)
LG: Sal Capra (6'4" 292lbs) (JR) Was on the field in some big games and did a great job.
Trevor Marrongelli (6'4" 285lbs)
LT: Tanner Hawkinson (6'6" 260lbs) Freshman so couldn't start last year. Check him out here Supposedly up to 285-290 now. When Mangino was asked about him gaining weight his reply was simply "have you seen the kid lately?!".
The youth is a little worrisome to me but I do think this is a better line than last year. Look at our right side, Sharp will be going there. Hawkinson has really impressed the coaches. He was a TE in HS. Hope that answered your WTH?
caveman99
All-American
Well you couldn't even get your own team's chart right. Hatch was your LT last year, not the RT. He split time with Spikes out at RT until they decided to move Hatch over to LT for good. Hatch is moving inside to his "more natural position" in Center. He is supposed to have a very high ceiling there so that bodes well for you if true. Hawkinson is a Redshirt Freshman, he was a TE in HS but was on the D-Line last year at Kansas. I don't think he got any PT though. That being said he is basically a first year player at LT, and frankly he doesn't even have any hard core O-Line time in HS so he is trying to learn a whole new position at one of the most crucial spots on the field. Both of your guard spots are newbies, yeah Capra is a Junior and got time there last year but he is having trouble holding off the RFr. Marrongelli. Overall you have an extremely young O-Line with very few returning starts in it. As many have pointed out, returning starts along an o-line is a good indicator of how a team will do. I don't care if Reesing can scramble or not, no running game and a passing game dependent on the QB to make time doesn't bode well in big games.
Here is a good write up on your O-Line: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2009/may/06/...ising/?football
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knapplc
International Man of Mystery
That is a young line!
Reesing is either going to have to roll out a lot, or there are going to have to be some pretty good splits in that line. Reesing lists at 5'11", and that's generous. He's a little guy. The shortest guy on that line is four inches taller than Reesing, with the bookends a full seven inches taller.
I would love to see what Will Compton could do with those splits. And Suh... oh man. :box
Reesing is either going to have to roll out a lot, or there are going to have to be some pretty good splits in that line. Reesing lists at 5'11", and that's generous. He's a little guy. The shortest guy on that line is four inches taller than Reesing, with the bookends a full seven inches taller.
I would love to see what Will Compton could do with those splits. And Suh... oh man. :box
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caveman99
All-American
To further my point about how important an experienced O-Line is, here are some articles that talk about the subject of returning starts on the O-line.
Offensive-Line Experience Can Predict Success
The Count: Using College O-Lines to Handicap This Fall
Number of returning O-Line Starts by Conference
Note that Kansas is dead last, NU is tied for 4th and only a few behind 3rd.
Offensive-Line Experience Can Predict Success
The Count: Using College O-Lines to Handicap This Fall
Number of returning O-Line Starts by Conference
Note that Kansas is dead last, NU is tied for 4th and only a few behind 3rd.
http://www2.kusports.com/football/depthchart/2008/
i know guys moved all over the place on our team last year, i was comparing how the season started last year with how the season starts this year. I would like to see Marrongelli win the starting job but he hasn't yet. Yeah, ask moo about that last statement you made, or VT before that. I am perfectly fine with the fact there are unknowns on the line, but i still think this line will be better than the line last year. It's funny you do not believe our youth can do this, but yet your youth is going to be able to replace what you guys lost on O, and you act like nobody will score on your D, the same D that gave up 28 ppg last year. 2 spots better than KU's D which also gave up 28 ppg, the same D that you call atrocious.